Me, The Legendary Hero: Part 2
by RyJones
Summary: We're back with Jak, Daxter, Darla & the rest of the crew for the next adventure in the Jak & Daxter series! Jak learns more about himself. Everything is at stake: the city, their relationships, & most importantly...their LIVES. This is the sequel to Me, The Legendary Hero (Installment 1). MATURE CONTENT. Violence/Language/Lemons. Read & Review. Shout-out to my dedicated readers!
1. Prologue

**A/N:**

HELLO MY ADORING READERS!

As promised, I have begun part two of MTLH! I am _beyond_ excited to get into this part, as the plans I made for it have existed for years! Once again, I appreciate all your reviews and sticking with my version of Jak and Daxter's adventures. It means the world to me that you all enjoy it so much.

**From the bottom of my heart, Thank you all.**

And so, without further ado...

Me, The Legendary Hero...Part Two.

**JDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJD**

_Darla_.

"YOU CAN'T DO THIS! YOU CAN'T TAKE HIM!" I screamed at the man, Maichael and Torn gripping my arms on either side of me, holding me back as I lunged forward, "_YOU CAN'T TAKE HIM_!" Heat spread throughout my body and I could feel my eyes glaze over red. I watched helplessly as the most important person in my world struggled against two guards while they slapped electric handcuffs onto his wrists.

"You can't do this!" Daxter shouted, stomping his feet on the ground, "He saved this whole fucking city! Who do you think you _are_?!"

"I run the Grand Council. So...I can. I will. And I have," The bastard faced me, hands clasped behind his back. His face was flat but I could see a smile playing across his thin lips. He was enjoying this. "He is a monster."

"_I_ am a monster!" I shouted, my voice cracking. I tore my right arm out of Maichael's grasp and shot out my claws.

Veger took a step back but made no move to run, "You're no threat to Haven City," He shook his head, "You have the control Baron Praxis hoped his other...experiments would gain over time. Of course they never did..." He chuckled to himself, "They either died...or they're Jak."

I growled and leapt for him again, but Torn's hold on me was stronger than I'd expected and I dropped to my knees. Veger rolled his dark eyes and snapped his fingers at his guards, "Take him."

"_NO!_" I roared in an unearthly voice, turning into my demon side, my monster, Dark eco bolts shooting out from my body in every direction. Veger jumped back, making a disgusted sound. Maichael and Torn rushed at me, grabbing my arms despite being shocked repeatedly by my bolts.

Veger brushed off his blue trench coat and composed himself, then indicated to his guards to continue dragging my Jak towards the Hellcat cruiser. "If I were you, and if you all know what's good for you...which you don't," he spat, "I would find a way to control your warriors." My demon receded and I was on my knees again, feeling defeated.

Veger looked down at me as if I were vermin. "One of them broke countless laws and endangered lives, and therefore needs to be punished. You should try and make sure the second one doesn't fuck up as well." He turned away from us, then headed over to the Hellcat. Daxter went sprinting at the guards, yelling at the top of his lungs, then clung to Jak's leg as he was pulled into the vehicle. Ashelin was standing in the way of it, clearly protesting Count Veger's decision, but I couldn't tell what she was saying...my ears were ringing so loudly, I felt as though my head would explode.

Ashelin stepped into the huge cruiser with Veger, still arguing as the door shut behind them. The Hellcat rose into the air and flew away, taking my heart and soul with it.

"Darla..." I heard Keira whisper from behind me.

Torn and Maichael still had a hold on me and I was annoyed, "Get off me." I hissed.

Their hands immediately retracted and they backed away. Keira said my name again and I got to my feet and faced my friends.

"What happens next?" Torn asked me, his tone cautious and soft. "What comes after this, D?"

I shook my head incredulously, "Are you kidding me? Does it look like I have life itself playing out in front of me, Torn?!" I stomped past him furiously and headed over to a rusty abandoned zoomer, "I don't_ know_ what happens after this! I haven't _seen anything_ after this!" I stopped and spun around, "I haven't had any major visions since the war, and visions of the future have been so vague that I couldn't even tell you what happens next. And even as far back as the first visions I'd _ever had_...this was the _farthest_ they had taken me!" My eyes welled up and I turned back around, hurrying towards the zoomer.

"Wait!" Keira shouted, "We need to come up with a plan! We have to-"

"There's nothing right now. I'm going home." I swung my leg over the zoomer and kicked it on, feeling the water flow out from my eyes. I switched hover zones and took off towards my apartment.

As the wind dried the salty tears on my cheeks, I searched for my inner demon for answers. She was dead silent and there was no feeling, no familiar ping in the back of my mind indicating any vision of some sort. It was as normal as someone should feel, but the most abnormal feeling to me.

Right now, I was on my own.

**JDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJD**

_Jak._

I searched for any sign of life in Darla's wide blue eyes. They were staring off into the distance, as they always did when she was having visions. But, she'd been...gone a while now. We had sat her down onto her office chair immediately after she said a vision was coming, and she hadn't moved since.

"Should I...try and snap her out of it?" I asked Maichael, who was pacing the perimeter of the room.

"No! No," He said, coming up to me, "I don't think we should. I've never tried it and I feel like..." He bit his lip and leaned over my shoulder to look at her, "I feel like if she doesn't, you know...ride the vision out, it will fuck her up somehow." He sighed in frustration, "I sound stupid, maybe we should just try and-"

"No, I think you're right," I said, "We don't want to do anything that could hurt her."

Maichael nodded and resumed his pacing, "I just don't know how much more of this I can-"

"NO!" Darla shouted, startling us both. We jumped and she arched her back, her eyes shutting tight. She gripped her head by the sides and shook, and I knelt down to her and grabbed her wrists.

"Darla! It's okay!" I shouted, tightening my hold on her wrists as she thrashed around, "It's just a vision! Come back to us!"

She stopped shaking then and slowly opened her eyes to look down at me. The whites of her eyes were unfathomably bloodshot and her lips were cracked and slightly parted. She looked _exhausted_.

"Jak." She said quietly, "Just another vision..."

"Yes, I know," I smiled at her reassuringly, even though I was _terrified_ of what she had seen. I placed her hands on her lap, "Are you alright? Do you want to talk about it with us?"

She glanced up at Maichael, then looked down at her thumbs, "Nah. It's the same one I keep having. It's just been more frequent, that's all. I'm fine."

Obviously I didn't believe a word of that, but of course I wouldn't press any further. "Okay." I brushed one of her blonde waves behind her ear, "Why don't you take today off?"

She began to argue but Maichael stepped in to help me, "D, you haven't been yourself since the war three weeks ago. You keep having this fucked up vision of yours and you've been extra tired and worn down. Torn will understand!"

Darla had a look of guilt on her face and it confused me for a moment. But, then she smiled tiredly and nodded, "You're right, thanks boys." She slowly got to her feet and I grabbed her hand.

"I will take over for you," Maichael said, patting her shoulder, "I will call if there's an emergency."

She thanked him and I guided her out of her office into the hallway. She was dragging her feet, moving so sluggishly that I thought maybe I should carry her. As I turned to ask her if she wanted that, we rounded a corner and bumped right into an extremely tall figure. He was wearing a long blue coat and had badges from many achievements he clearly was proud of. He was balding and middle-aged, and glared down at us with dark-pit eyes.

I blinked in surprise, "Sorry, excuse us." I said politely as I guided Darla around the man.

"Yes, excuse _you_," He muttered rudely, making a face at me as he continued down the hallway.

I laughed humorlessly, "Jackass." I turned to Darla and she had a pained look on her face as she watched the tall man turn the corner. "Don't worry about that prick, baby. He was being an asshole." Her look disconcerted me, especially with her bloodshot eyes standing out so much.

"Yeah," She said, her voice hoarse. She turned, still holding my hand, and continued walking down the hall with me without another word.

_She's fine_, I thought to myself, _There's plenty of work to be done tomorrow. The war is over. She's fine. We're fine._

I wasn't too sure of myself. But I had to hope that everything would be okay.

**JDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJD**

**A/N:**

That's all you get for now! I didn't want to jump into the story without a little bit of introduction. Hope you're all ready!

Read, review, and **brace yourselves**.

_~RyJones_


	2. Just The Beginning

**A/N:**

I found some free time to write Chapter 1! As many of you probably know by now, being a college student takes up MOST of my time, so I will try to update as often as I can when the Spring semester starts! I want to focus on school, but that doesn't mean my story is any less important to me!

Thanks again for all your loyal support, and I hope you enjoy!

**JDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJD**

_Jak_.

Once I tucked Darla into bed at our new apartment in New Haven, I geared up and headed out to meet Daxter and the gang at one of our new Underground headquarters, located at The Naughty Ottsel. The trip to the Port was a disaster; warriors suited in their new blue Freedom Fighter armor were fighting off metalhead stragglers while trying to clean up all the debris. There was word that the metalheads would attack again soon, but on their own. Clearly they were angry with us for killing Kor, their leader, three weeks ago. I was hoping that the attack was just a rumor made by civilians, but knowing my luck, that wouldn't be the case.

Clean-up was much harder than we'd all anticipated. Buildings crumbled during the war, important places and homes, causing many of Haven's people to be living on the streets. They were starting to put the blame on the Underground, saying life was better when Baron Praxis was around. This statement made me feel frustrated with them and angry, but most of all I felt guilty. These people lost their homes and lives because of the war. The war was inevitable of course, but it seemed like everything should've worked out better. People should've been rejoicing in the streets like the first few nights after the war, not dying in the streets.

I arrived to HQ and parked my zoomer. I put on a confident smile and strode in, but was met with unhappy faces.

"Jak, it's about time you showed your sorry ass," Torn spat, "Do you have any idea what's happening?"

I crossed my arms, "I haven't heard."

Samos floated around the center table, "Jak my boy, it seems a new war is beginning."

My arms fell and my mouth dropped open, "What?"

"There are new Krimzon Death Bots being created somewhere around the Industrial part of the city," Torn stated, gesturing at the map on the table, "It seems the KG have a new leader and they've decided to attempt to start taking control of the city."

"No..." I breathed, "Who is it? Who the hell would even want to start shit after all we've been through, the city as a whole?"

"Do you think if I knew, I'd be fucking standing around?"

I gritted my teeth, "So what do we do about it?"

Daxter hopped up onto the table and stomped his foot, "Let's just get a group together and kick their asses!"

"Have you learned _nothing_ from the last war?" Torn glared at Dax, "We can't just throw the only troops we have into another battle without a plan. There's a lot we don't know about these new bots. I say we send some spies in and figure out what's going on before we jump into anything."

I nodded in agreement, "For now, let's just stick with rebuilding the city, and let's not draw any attention to the Industrial zone if that's where they're located. We don't want them to know we are planning anything."

"I just hope what they're planning won't fuck us all." Torn muttered.

**JDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJD**

_Darla_.

I lay down on the bathroom tile floor. My head was swirling, with the repeated vision of Jak being taken from me, as well as lucid visions that didn't make any sense. Daxter had stringy wings in one vision and Tess was an ottsel in another...nothing was making sense.

_**You're fine**_, My demon's voice rang in my mind, trying to sound confident, _**Just get up**_.

"I can't," I groaned out loud, "I feel better laying down here." I really did, though; the tiles were cool on my hot face and the room spun a little less.

_**I hope there isn't going to be much more of this. I want to curl up and die.**_

I moaned again, "Shut up, please, shut _up_."

I heard the door to my apartment open then. My eyes widened, "Shit!" I whispered to myself. I had to get up and get out of here, get to the couch or something. I had to pretend like everything was normal, or that I was just overtired.

"Darla? I'm here to check on you!" I heard Keira's voice call. The bathroom door was open and I knew I didn't have much time. I attempted to sit up but as soon as I did, the room began to violently spin again, causing my stomach to turn.

I fell back against the wall, using it for support. "Keira..." I said quietly and the spinning room calmed itself. I heard bustling down the hall and my aqua-haired pixie of a friend appeared at the door. She gasped and ran to my side.

"Darla! What's wrong?!" She knelt down and felt my forehead, "Are you sick? You don't have a fever..."

"I...I'm fine. Just overworked." I croaked, the room and my stomach turning again. I groaned and wrapped my arms around myself.

"Overworked?" Keira shook her head, "Darla, this is _way_ more than just 'overworked'. Are you sure you're not..." Her voice drifted off and she tiled her head, looking at me strangely. She looked me up and down, then her eyes widened and her hands flew to her face.

"Darla, are you-?!"

I grabbed onto her arm, a pleading look in my face, "Keira, you _can't tell anyone_."

She sat on the floor next to me, staring at me. "Darla...I don't know what to say."

I let go of her arm and covered my face, "I had visions about it happening. I've known for a while it would. But I'm still just as surprised and afraid as anyone would be."

Keira took my hands off my face and held them in hers, "Are you okay? Obviously you feel like shit."

I laughed humorlessly. "You can say that again. I'm okay just...terrified."

"Have you told Jak?"

My heart dropped into my stomach and I grimaced, "I can't tell him, Keira."

She blinked in confusion, "Are you not keeping it...?"

"Of course I'm keeping it!" I exclaimed. Keira sighed with relief and I squeezed her hands, "I just can't tell him because I've been having other visions where Jak and I are going to be separated for a while. And it is crucial for him to have a clear mind for the duration of the separation. If I tell him we're pregnant, it will throw everything off balance..." I stared into Keira's eyes, "It could get Jak _killed_."

She furred her brows and I continued, "That's why it is _so important_ that you_ do not_ tell anyone, Keira. This needs to remain a secret until he's gone."

She nodded and leaned over to kiss my cheek, "Your secret is safe with me. Especially if keeping it will protect you and Jak."

I rested my head on her shoulder, "Have I ever told you how much I love you?"

She smiled down at me, "Love you too." She lay her head on mine, "I'm so excited about this...the baby, I mean."

I glanced down at my flat, toned stomach. Of course, there was nothing to see; I was only three weeks in, after all. But there was something there, even though I couldn't see it...a little person growing, a being that would be born to do great things.

I smiled slightly, "Me too." I whispered.

**JDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJD**

_Jak_.

Darla had been bedridden for four days before she was able to finally come out and help. We were standing in another one of our newer headquarters in New Haven, my arm wound tightly and protectively around her waist. I was worried she wasn't quite ready to be out and about yet, but she was determined to get back to work.

Torn was pacing back and forth anxiously, "Where the fuck is Ashelin?!"

"She's fine Torn," Darla murmured calmly, "I promise."

Torn's shoulders relaxed a bit, "She should've been here by now."

"She's dealing with a ton of shit with Grand Council as the governor," She leaned against me, clearly frustrated, "The council has a lot of douchebags to deal with, if you didn't already know."

"Yeah. I knew." Torn rolled his eyes, "I swear if those pricks fuck up our infiltration plans, I'll-" Torn was cut off by his communicator and he picked it up, "Talk to me." He paused, then his eyes widened. "Fuck..." He paused again, "Keep me updated." He hung up and slammed his fists against the table, "Damnit!"

Ashelin walked in just as we were about to ask Torn what the news was. "I just had the worst meeting..."

Torn turned on the projector map at the center of the table. "Jak, the city's divided." I let go of Darla and approached the map, "Reports say those new Krimzon Death Bots are holding a vital section of the Industrial area...My men are getting their _asses_ kicked!" He banged his fist on the table again, "The KG definitely have a new leader. We've got to find out who it is."

Samos entered the room then, a solemn look upon his face, "I'm afraid I've got more bad news. A large group of surviving metalheads have concentrated in another section of the city."

I let out an exasperated sigh, "But we destroyed Kor!" My blood boiled.

"It appears the strongest metalheads have survived. The battle for the city has just begun."

Ashelin turned to me, "This is what we discussed at my meeting with the Grand Council...The people are blaming you, Jak."

"Of course they are," I growled, "I clearly caused all their pain and suffering."

"Don't say that," Torn said, "We all had a part in protecting the city. We should all get the blame if that is what it's coming to."

I shook my head. I saved these people and this is how they feel? "Well, fuck them then. If they don't want my help, I'm gone." I turned and headed for the door, grabbing Darla's hand, "Let's go home."

"Jak, stop!" Ashelin called after me, but I didn't look back as we entered the elevator.

The doors shut behind us and Darla placed a hand on my chest, "You should help despite how the people feel. They need to find someone to blame because the people who caused all their pain are dead."

I closed my eyes and leaned my forehead on her shoulder. She pat my back reassuringly and I sighed, "I don't get it. There's never an end. I just want a break from Haven City and it's craziness."

She stopped patting me for a moment. "I'm sure everything will be fine, Jak." I didn't like the sound of her voice when she said that...but I hoped she was right.

We stepped out onto the streets and it was raining. It rained a lot most days...I don't know why. Maybe it was a foreshadowing of what was to come; a sign from the Precursors that there was another storm brewing.

I sluggishly entered the apartment building, Darla practically dragging me up the steps to our place. As we entered the apartment, she began to undress me. "How about we relax a bit?"

I pouted and my shoulders slumped, "What good is that going to do..." She placed my gear on the counter and unbuttoned the top of my tunic, pulling it over my head. I raised up my hands so she could pull it off, then let them fall lazily.

"I think it would lighten your mood for a bit." She wrapped her arms around my waist, kissed my bare chest then smiled up at me, flashing the dimple on her right cheekbone.

I tilted my head and couldn't help but return the smile. I could be in the worst of moods, but that perfect face always brightened my darkest days. I leaned forward and kissed her nose. "What do you have in mind?"

She reached down and tugged on the brim of my pants, "I'd rather show you than say," she smiled coyly and started backing up towards our bedroom, taking me by the hands. I bit my lip, suppressing a grin. I brought her left hand, the one with the engagement ring I'd given to her, to my lips and kissed it.

When we reached the bedroom, I dropped her hands and scooped her up, hugging her thighs to my hip. She leaned down and kissed me softly, her teeth tugging on my bottom lip, and I fell onto the bed with her.

"Someone's frisky today," I murmured and she wrapped her arms around my neck.

She smiled against my lips. "I've been 'frisky' all fucking week." I groaned quietly and she kissed my jawline, "You have no idea how extra badly I've wanted you the past few days."

I grinned, "I might have to make you wait longer then." She growled, her eyes glazing over black. I closed mine and kissed her fiercely, holding her arms down with my own. She growled again, and her fangs slid down, nipping my lip and I pulled back, "I wouldn't do that if I were you, dear." I said jokingly, "Just enjoy the ride."

I felt her body relax underneath me and I continued to kiss her. It was like we were kids again, making out as if we could be found at any moment. I pressed myself against her and she kept groaning, making it way harder for me to keep from tearing her damn clothes off.

We kissed until our lips were cracked and bleeding, and she tore her mouth away from mine, gasping. "Jak, please," She moaned in a way I'd never heard before and I immediately started taking off her clothes.

I held her down by her wrists, kissing her entire body all the way down. She kept saying no; I knew what she wanted but I wasn't going to give in yet, as hard as it was not to. I let go of her hands, which found my hair and tugged as I went down on her. Her back arched slowly then relaxed, this motion continuing every time she inhaled and exhaled. I could feel her tensing up then and she gripped my hair, moaning about how close she was. I smiled and kept going until her body collapsed and she let out a guttural groan.

I trailed my lips up her body back to hers and kicked my pants off. She breathed slowly and heavily, her eyelids drooping as she stared up at me. Her arms wrapped around my torso and I held her head in my hands. She broke from my lips to catch a breath, and I rested my forehead against hers before I slid in.

She whimpered and her lips found mine again, her nails digging into my back, "Jak..."

I dove deeper and my hips twitched, "Darla, your so _tight_..." She whimpered again and I knew I wouldn't be able to last long if I didn't pace myself, but it was hard not to let myself loose.

My eyes closed and sweat beaded on my forehead as I picked up speed, clutching her hair by the scalp. She was so right, I needed to relax...I needed this. I needed _her_.

_I want you. I need you. I love you_.

It felt so good to let go of the aggression and frustration this way, and to know that she wanted me as desperately as I wanted her made it all the more perfect...Made her all the more perfect to me.

I opened my eyes as she released herself again, and I followed shortly after. As if sensing my gaze, she too opened her eyes and kissed me, slower this time. I rested my body on hers, moving her hair out of her face, running my nose over her cheek. Her skin smelt so good and every part of me wanted to stay there forever.

Her breathing slowed again and she reached up to touch my face. She didn't say anything; no witty remarks, no sexual comments, nothing. She just looked at me, touching my face. Her thumb ran over my eyebrow and I kissed her palm.

We lay there for a while before I had a feeling of unease. She was so quiet...whether she was basking in "after-glow" or not, I wanted her to say something. Her silence was putting me on edge.

"I love you so fucking much, Darla." I said in a softly, a hopeful tone in my voice. She smiled and kissed me, and I rested my head on her chest, a pit forming in my stomach.

"I love you just as much...if not more." She said in a hoarse whisper, running her fingers through my hair.

I closed my eyes, letting out a sigh of contentment, "Impossible."

She was holding me to her extra tightly. I still felt worried that something was wrong. She'd been acting so strange since the war had ended. I wasn't worried of her leaving me, even though it was always a fear creeping in the back of my mind. But her behavior was making me nervous that something was going on. _I have to find out what it_-

"I'M BLIND! _I'M BLIND_!" Daxter's voice rang through my thoughts, causing both Darla and I to jump. We scrambled under the covers and I turned to face the doorway, which I'd clearly forgotten to close. I didn't think it would be necessary, considering this was _our_ apartment...

"Dax!" I glared at my best friend, who was covering his eyes, shouting profane words and pacing around in a circle, "What the fuck, man?" Darla had wrapped herself in a way that only her face was peeking out from the blanket. It was quite a comical sight, but it would've been funnier if Daxter hadn't been the reason for it.

"Oh my god, the Precursors, for the love of all that is _holy_..." Daxter moaned, peaking at me through his fingers, "Jak, I just saw your _bare white ass_."

I felt myself blush furiously, "Dax is there something you need...?"

He placed his hands on his hips, frowning, "I was trying to be a good best friend and check up on you to see if you were alright, but _CLEARLY_ you're doing just fine!" He gestured toward Darla, who also blushed.

I sighed, "Well a ring over the communicator would've been enough, but thank you anyway."

Daxter rolled his eyes and waved his hand before exiting the room, "Whatever! Come find me when you're decent!"

I shook my head and leaned against the bedframe. Once we heard the front door shut, Darla unwrapped herself. "Well that was unfortunate."

I groaned and rubbed my face, "I'm sure Daxter was more than happy to see my bare ass, thank you very much."

Darla laughed and leaned against the frame next to me. "I'm sure he was, you do have the perfect butt."

I lifted my eyebrow skeptically, my face growing warm, "Oh yeah?"

She too lifted her eyebrow, "Yes, I frequently have to suppress the urge to bite it."

**JDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJD**

I was standing on the roof of the Palace with Samos and Daxter, watching the horror below us unfold. In a matter of two days, the war had reached a new level of bad. Metalheads stormed in from what used to be the Gardens and Bazaar, and KDBs were being created more frequently, attacking metalheads and humans both. Hellcat cruisers filled the skies, trying to shoot down the bots and metalheads...It was total chaos.

"Report!" Samos shouted into his communicator, awaiting Torn's news. A crackle came over the speaker as a bomb went off in the distance.

"_It's bad_!" Torn yelled over the communicator, "_The city's become a battlefield! Mechanized Death Bots have taken the Industrial section, and the surviving metalheads have expanded their hold on the Westside...We're losing ground on all fronts_."

"_The council is meeting tonight in emergency session_..." Ashelin's voice came through the speaker, "_Rumblings about you, Jak. It doesn't look good. They think your friendship with Krew helped the metalheads get into the city_."

I frowned and faced Samos, "You don't believe that...do you?"

Samos avoided my gaze, "What's in the past is done. Right now, metalheads are assaulting the Palace. They're looking for something and I have no idea-"

Suddenly two enormous bombs soared towards the base of the Palace and exploded. The ground beneath us began to shake and rumble and I could feel myself losing balance. Daxter gripped my shoulder armor and more bombs flew through the air, causing the base to crumble and the Palace to start tipping. Panic made my heart race as I tried to gain some control over my footing.

Daxter screamed, "WE'RE FALLING!"

A Hellcat raced toward us, carrying Torn and Ashelin. Torn pulled up and waved to us, "OVER HERE! JUMP!" Samos and I jumped onto the engine of the cruiser and we sped away just as the Palace was about to fall.

When the smoke cleared, Torn flew us over the Palace remains. When we looked down into the darkness, we saw something unimaginable.

It looked like underneath the Palace was something made by Precursors. Protruding from the dark depths, was a glowing light that emitted a crystal glow.

"By the Precursors..." Samos whispered.

We couldn't get a closer look though, because more KDBs were flying at us, ready to attack.

"We need to get back to HQ!" Ashelin shouted, "We can figure all this out later." We began flying towards New Haven.

I was dreading the "emergency session meeting" Ashelin was going to attend tonight...I felt it was going to be more of a jurisdiction of what the city wanted to do with me.

**JDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJD**

The verdict was guilty.

_Guilty._

_Guilty._

When the new KGs arrived to retrieve me at HQ the following morning, I felt as though it were the end of everything. The judge of the Grand Council, who went by the name of Veger, had some sort of power over Ashelin's choices as governor. And he had chosen for me to be banished from Haven City.

I couldn't fight; that would only prove to them I was incapable of protecting the city. It would only get me into more trouble, or get me killed. They took me outside towards a Hellcat transporter cruiser while my friends tried to reason with Count Veger.

The worst part of them putting me in handcuffs was Darla's screams. Hearing her wails and pleading cries cut through me; it felt worse than death. I couldn't look at her. I wanted to, but I knew if I looked into her eyes, I would just try to run to her and get myself shot down in the process. Torn and Maichael were holding her by the arms, and from the corner of my eye I could see her changing from human form to her monster form repeatedly. She was ruthless when she was angry, and I was afraid it would get her killed. With my mind I willed her to stop, to just accept my fate. Eventually she fell to her knees, defeated.

Veger glared down at the one thing in my life I loved more than anything in the world, and I wanted to claw his brains out. "One of them broke countless laws and endangered lives, and therefore needs to be punished. You should try and make sure the second one doesn't fuck up as well." He turned and faced me and we made eye contact. I wanted the ugly bastard dead so badly...he was going to ruin everything we'd all worked for, including the new life I'd made for myself.

The guards jabbed the butts of their guns into my side, indicating that it was time to go. Daxter ran at me, shouting inaudibly, and clung to my leg. I looked down at him, pleading with my eyes for him to stay in Haven with the others...but we both knew I wasn't going anywhere without my partner. He promised me he was only going to come for the ride. Ashelin yelled at Veger, guilt in her eyes, calling him crazy and stating that she was going to observe the banishment. I assumed it was so that Veger wouldn't shoot me dead and announce later that I had died over time from starvation.

I walked up the ramp into the cruiser. Pecker flew into the Hellcat and rested on Ashelin's shoulder. He too had guilt in his eyes for what was about to happen to me. I turned to face my friends, looking at each one of their faces, mentally taking photos of each one so I wouldn't die alone.

As the ramp began closing, I took one last look at Darla, my beautiful Darla. I studied every part of her and memories flashed through my mind in those last few seconds. The day we met. The day I saved her from Misty Island. The day before we arrived in Haven City. The day I ran into her and lost her all over again. The day we reunited. The first time we made love. The night I asked her to forever be mine. The night we won the war. And the last time, two days ago, that I would be able to hold her the way I did.

No more nights out with our friends. No more holding her face and seeing her smile. No more nights spent wrapped in each others arms. No more adventures with Daxter.

No more me.

I felt my eyes well up and I started to hyperventilate. I looked at Darla and we made eye contact. Tears poured down her face, fire flaring in her blue eyes...but her lips smiled a little, just for me. A smile that said "it's okay, you'll be okay, we'll all be okay".

A smile that reminded me to never forget who I am.

And in that smile, as the door sealed shut and we took off into the sky, I felt a tiny spark of hope.

**JDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJD**

**A/N:**

And so it begins...my version of Jak's third adventure has finally begun!

Read and review, and I will update as soon as possible!

_~RyJones_


	3. Back From The Dead

**A/N:**

Chapter 2 is here! I found some spare time in my busy schedule. Prepare yourselves for a huge surprise, though; As I've said in the past, everything that happens in my version of Jak and Daxter has already been planned out up to the end, so expect the unexpected!

Without further ado, Chapter 2!

**JDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJD**

_Jak_.

"By order of the Grand Council of Haven City, for heinous acts and crimes against the people," Veger's eyes gleamed as he spoke my sentence, "You are hereby banished to the Wasteland for life." He slammed his book of justice (or rather, injustice) shut, sealing my fate. I glared at Count Veger and struggled against the handcuffs as he turned to leave.

"This is a _death_ sentence, Veger," Ashelin hissed at him and he smirked at her, "There must be another way!"

Veger snarled and spun to face her, "Your protest was overruled! This Dark eco freak is dangerous!" He gestured to the guards flanking my sides, "Now drop the cargo!"

"This is an outrage!" Pecker shouted, flying out from the Hellcat, "I am outraged beyond words. Although I do have something to say," He crossed his wings, "Not everyone agrees with this ridiculous decree!"

Daxter appeared beside him, "Yeah! We want a recount!"

The guards and Veger started to return to the cruiser, "Oh," Veger said slyly, "I see you wish to join him."

"Actually we are not that outraged." Pecker said and Daxter glared at him, "Farewell Jak! Stay out of the sun...Drink lots of water...If you can find it."

"Jak?" Daxter's ears flopped down and he looked over at me with sadness in his eyes.

My chest tightened up so I stared down at the sand, "Go back to the city, Dax."

As they all loaded into the Hellcat, Ashelin approached me. She sighed, "I'm sorry. The Council...is too powerful. There was nothing I-"

I didn't look up from the ground as she unlocked my cuffs, "I know."

"You just stay alive, you hear me? That's an order." She reached for my hand and placed something into it before closing it shut, "Someone will find you." I looked at her with confusion, but she had an emotionless face. "I promise."

I nodded and clutched the small, round item in my fist as she too headed to the Hellcat. As the doors began to close and the cruiser started to rise, Veger turned to face me one last time.

"May the Precursors have mercy on you." He said it so menacingly, it only made me feel more hopeless. The cruiser took off into the sky, leaving me surrounded by a horrible, dusty sand cloud.

I coughed and sputtered, rubbing my eyes, but I heard an echo of coughing against mine. The sand cloud cleared and to my surprise, my best friend and Pecker were standing before me in the sand. "Daxter!" I exclaimed, feeling both relieved and horrified all at once. If he died out here because of me, I didn't know what I'd do...

"Don't thank me!" He said, waving his hand, "I'm only here because you wouldn't last a second without me!" He grinned and I couldn't help but smile in return. He was right. "Okay, tough guy. You got us into this mess, now you've got to get us out!"

"Ah! What a team we'll make!" Pecker said confidently and Daxter glared at him.

I opened my hand and looked at the item Ashelin had placed into it. It looked like a Precursor artifact. It had a rough texture to it and a yellow blinking light in the center. But what was it for? I closed my hand again and nodded to Daxter and Pecker, "Let's just get moving. But which way?"

The two numbskulls simultaneously shouted, pointing in opposite directions, "That way!"

"Oh, and I suppose you know where you're going, eh?!" Pecker frowned and Daxter got up in his face.

"Better than you do, bent-beak!"

I groaned and rubbed my dry face, "Argh, let's just move."

We walked quietly as the sun was setting on possibly one of the worst days in my existence. Though the Wasteland was all desert and cacti and rock, the night approaching felt cool. I was thankful at first, but as the stars came out, I began to feel too cold and it was_ so_ dark. I heard Daxter's teeth chattering behind me as we trekked on. Pecker resorted to walking because the cold air "ruffled his feathers". I asked them if they wanted to stop, but they suggested we just keep going and pray that we find some water.

Morning broke soon and the sun beat down on the three of us. We had travelled for hours and the only water I could get was from the cacti...and it wasn't enough. My body was sweating profusely, the only liquids my body contained leaving me faster as the day went on.

"This was all your stupid idea!" Pecker shouted at Daxter at one point, his voice startling me.

"No, it was yours!" Daxter proclaimed, "Only a _birdbrain_ could have thought this one up. 'Let's go with him! We'll help together!'," He imitated Pecker's accent, which I would've found funny if I didn't feel the way I did, "You mean we'll _die_ together! I can't believe the city hates us...we saved those lowlifes!"

I didn't respond, because part of me agreed. The jury had voted against me...a jury of common people and Grand Councilmen that knew all I had done to protect them and save the city. Having Dark eco inside me didn't hurt any innocent people. I could've...but I didn't. I had control, especially as time progressed.

How long had we been walking? I tried to count the nights that had passed...two? four? I couldn't think straight. I was starving and thirsty. The sun was so fucking hot that all I could see was white. Eventually I couldn't think straight anymore and I fell to my knees. In the distance of the white, I could see, or rather, I hallucinated Haven City, specifically the Palace. I reached out to it, but the image soon disappeared and I fell forward onto my hands.

"Right, good plan Jak," I heard Daxter say from behind me as I collapsed to my side in the hot sand, "A nap would be nice...just a teensy little rest."

"This bird is over cooked..." Pecker's voice moaned weakly.

I coughed and my eyes slowly shut as I murmured, "The Palace..."

I started to dream then. About water, Darla, my friends, the metalheads...Bright colors swarmed my dehydrated brain. Images of myself driving a strange ground zoomer on a wide winding road flashed through my mind, causing my heart to race. I sped through the city on this road, riding along the coast during a beautiful sunset. The road was empty and Darla was in the vehicle next to me, humming aimlessly. Daxter was shouting profanity in my ear as we flew past the ocean. Strangely enough, Darla was also holding Daxter, a double, in her arms like an infant, rocking him to sleep. My dream-self didn't find this strange of course, and I continued to ride on.

I was so thirsty in the dream, and the sunset was brightening for some reason. Darla placed her hand on mine on the steering wheel and I looked over at her. She was suddenly in her darker form, and she was no longer holding Daxter's double. She smiled a fanged grin at me.

"Jak, do you need a drink?" Her voice whispered. I nodded and Daxter pointed to the ocean shouting, "Here comes one now!"

A lurker shark suddenly leapt from the ocean over the guard rail, its salty ocean water spraying my face, and it disappeared into the road on the opposite side. My tongue hung from my mouth, trying to lap up the salt water but I couldn't get any.

"Aw, that's too bad." Darla, now in human form, pouted. "That's the only water you're going to see for miles, love."

"Sucks to be you Jakie!" Daxter pat my back, "Do you think we're going to make it?"

The scenery was so bright and white now that I could barely see the road.

"Jak, slow down, you're going to fast!" Darla's voice squeaked in a panic, "I'm losing him!" She leaned out the vehicle, looking behind us, "I'm losing him, Jak!"

"JAK!" Daxter shouted, "SLOW DOWN!"

The brightness was blinding, and then suddenly I saw black

The next thing I remember was someone violently gripping my shirt by the collar and shaking me, shouting, "Who gave you this?!"

And then, nothing.

**JDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJD**

_Darla_.

The city was going to shit...as usual. The metalheads were fighting hard, and without a leader, they were pretty damn reckless and ruthless. I was in my office, sitting in my chair in the same tense position as every time I worked, watching the monitors in front of me and guiding the fighters with every passing vision that bitch-slapped me across the face.

Keira had made sure I was on monitor duty_ only,_ if I was going to be working at all. Her and Maichael had been staying with me at the apartment, making sure I was eating and sleeping and not doing anything crazy like going on killing rampages in Dead Town at night. When Jak had left, I took off and did exactly that until Torn showed up, practically dragging my ass back into the city. Keira had told him and Maichael what was going on in the hopes that they could help her keep track of me while Jak was gone. And none of us knew how long that would be.

There was a knock on my door, "Come in," I said, and the door opened.

"Hey Darla, I have lunch!" My dear, wonderful assistant Cain announced as he entered the room, shutting the door behind him, "A yakow steak salad and a virgin Big Bang, the usual request you've had this week."

I groaned, partially excited but also very sad, "_Virgin_ Big Bang...have you ever heard of such a disgraceful thing?"

Cain set the bag of food in front of me and pat my back, "No alcohol for you! You can wait nine months."

I smiled at him and tore into the bag, "It will be worth it. But all I care about right now is plunging my face into this yakow meat."

Cain laughed and sat on my desk, "I aim to please. But don't tell Macon that!" He smirked at me. Macon, his boyfriend and Maichael's old bunkmate, had finally moved in to Cain's place and I had recently gotten the privilege to meet him. He was definitely a hard-faced, jealous thing, but he made Cain quite chipper and that was always what got me through the long work day.

I popped a piece of yakow steak in my mouth and then popped one into his, "You're my favorite."

"Yeah, yeah." He rolled his eyes and headed for the door, "Call if you need me!" He shut it behind him and I dug into my food.

_**I'm starving, I'm so hungry**_, my demon side groaned loudly, _**I could eat an entire yakow!**_

"Me too." I answered her out loud with my cheeks stuffed, "I'm not used to being this hungry."

_**All I'm saying is we better not get out of shape**_, She muttered, _**We're going to have to go on night runs if we want to STAY** **in** **shape.**_

"I agree."

"Who the hell are you talking to, D?"

I jumped and spun my chair to face the door that I apparently didn't hear open. Maichael was standing there, arms crossed. "You sound like a fucking psycho."

I made a face and turned my chair back to watch the monitors, "Don't ask."

He snorted and dragged the extra office chair over. "I'm on a break right now. I wanted to see how you're doing."

"Fine! I'm fine." I was being honest; today felt like a good day. But almost 100% of me knew that it was just my hormones fucking with my emotions. "For now."

"That's good, you need to be 'fine' right now and stay that way."

I took a swig of my virgin juice and sighed, "I know deep down how I really feel...which is why I'm thankful to have you and Keira watching me."

"I'm just glad you're in here and not...out there," He pointed to the bottom monitor, which was filled corner to corner with swarming metalheads.

I frowned, "I wish I was. I like to get out sometimes and fight beside them."

"Well Torn wants you here so you can have clear visions and so that you're safe." Maichael smiled encouragingly, "You know what Jak would do to him if anything happened to you."

I smiled slightly at the thought. I was _very_ independent, but I loved how protective Jak was. "Yeah, you're right."

"And when I give you the same speech again tomorrow when your hormones are raging, you'll probably tell me to fuck off. But know that I love you anyway."

I laughed and shook my head at my best friend, "Fuck off, Maichael."

Maichael shook his head disapprovingly at me and pointed at my stomach, "Watch your mouth, it can probably hear you."

**JDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJD**

_Jak_.

Daxter and I had been bedridden for two weeks, and Pecker was apparently up and about since we'd gotten to this place. Bald monks with painted faces had been tending to our desert fevers and dehydration, letting us rest in a dimly lit, stone-walled room. One of the monks said that their king, who's name escaped me, had found us in the desert and brought us back here. Now that I was feeling better, I was eager to find out more about our rescuer.

I looked at myself in the full length mirror on one side of the room. My hair was _out of control,_ and I had grown a straggly beard. The monks had taken my clothes and altered them so that they would fit the hot weather- the sleeves of my blue tunic had been cut off and the torn edges had been sewn so that it now fitted me like a tank top. My shorts were tight around the waist but loose from the thighs down below the knees, so that I could still tuck them into my boots. I was thankful for the new wardrobe; I would never have lasted any longer in that heat.

"Admiring yourself, Jak?" Daxter said smoothly from across the room, "I do it at least twice a day!"

I rolled my eyes, "How are you feeling today?"

He stretched and hopped off his cot, "I'm not as thirsty as I was yesterday. But I'm still tired."

"I'm just glad to be alive." I said quietly. I hadn't expected to live...either of us. I thought we could survive a while in the desert but clearly we hadn't made it that long before we needed rescuing. And I thanked the Precursors there was someone out there to retrieve us.

There was a slight tapping sound on the door and it cracked open, "Newcomers," A voice spoke from behind it.

"Come in," I said, turning away from my reflection. A monk opened the door the rest of the way, carrying a tray of food for Daxter and I. He sat it down onto the table in the center of the room and we thanked him.

"Newcomer," He said again, looking directly at me, "One of the warriors is available to cut your hair. I have you scheduled to see her once you have finished your meal."

I shook my head, "That's fine, I don't need-"

"It is necessary for all newcomers to be prepped and groomed for the intense heat in this city," The monk interrupted, clasping his hands behind his back, "I will be back to collect you soon." Without another word, he exited the room.

Daxter and I locked eyes and I shrugged. We stuffed our faces with food in silence.

As I attempted to get a piece of bread out of my thick beard, Daxter said, "You do look like a hobo with that facial hair."

I threw the beard-bread at him and he ducked and laughed. As we finished eating, the monk returned just as he said he would. "Are you ready, newcomer?"

I nodded, "Please, call me Jak."

The monk didn't answer, and I rose to follow him out the door, waving to Daxter as I shut it behind me. As we walked through the stone halls, I couldn't help but admire the way this place looked. It was all red sandstone and dark clay, and each of the rooms and halls were of a smooth texture. Everything was dimly lit, as if to shield from the brightness outside. Monks bustled past us, chanting and praying in inaudible languages. I had also seen warriors being taken care of by monks as well, warriors adorned with armor the same style and color as the theme of the building. They all looked tough, women and men both, even the injured or fevered ones. I hadn't seen any children yet, but I was sure they wouldn't be in this area often considering it was some sort of infirmary wing specifically for warriors.

"In here," The monk said, indicating to a room on my left, "Down the stairs. She is waiting for you." I thanked the monk again and headed through the door, down smooth stone steps.

To my surprise, when I reached the bottom, I was in a brightly lit room that brought out all the warm tones of the red sandstone walls. The floor was made of deep blue tiles and there were mirrors all around with chairs in front of them. The colors were so vibrant and I felt myself gaping.

I shook myself out of my trance, "Uh...anyone here?" I called out.

"Yes! Hang on," A female voice rang out from a room attached to the one I was standing in, "I will be right there."

I waited for a moment, tugging on my knotted beard, until she finally came out of the separate room, wiping her hands on a towel. This woman was young, probably around my age, with ice blue eyes that stood out against the tile floor. She had jet-black hair that was cut very short and styled like a thick faux-hawk that flopped over her right eye. She too was wearing the dark sand-colored armor that the other warriors were wearing. She looked very different than the warriors though, like someone who didn't blend in with the rest of the crowd.

She nodded to one of the chairs in front of the mirror, "Have a seat, my friend."

I smiled respectively and sat in one of the cushion seats. "Thank you for this. You didn't have to."

She returned the smile, turning the chair to face the mirror, "It's too fucking hot out there for all of...this," She removed my goggles from my head, placing them on a counter in front of the mirror, and ran her hands through the back of my now-beyond long blonde hair, "This _has_ to go."

I laughed and watched her in the mirror, "You're the first person I've spoken to who's not one of those monks."

"Yeah, King Damas has a lot of those guys running around," She replied, pulling out a blade for my beard, "But he gives them a home that they earned, just as we all did."

"What is this place?" I asked, "I didn't even know it existed." The girl tilted the chair back to get a good angle at my face.

"Sit still, don't speak." She said, before slicing away at my facial hair, "I will give you answers. King Damas is a man who finds people who have been cast out into the desert, left to die, and brings them here. He has them nursed back to health and then sends them into an arena to test out their skills."

"Skills-?" I began to ask but she shushed me and glared.

"I could accidentally cut you if you speak!" She continued removing the hair, "Anyway, yes, skills. You need to earn your place here in Spargus City. He will have you fight against Marauders, which are desert thieves and criminals Damas has captured, in an arena in order to see what your worth is. If you survive three different challenges, you are granted citizenship of his city."

I felt my eyes widen in surprise and a little bit of anxiety filled my chest._ I have to prove my worth?_

She stepped back to observe her work, than moved to my other side. "You look strong. I'm sure you will do well. Don't think of it as punishment or anything, really, he just doesn't want to waste his time with people who can't improve the city and keep it safe."

_I suppose that makes sense_. I waited for her to continue as she moved to clean off the blade. She cleared her throat, "So, once you prove yourself, he will give you some jobs to do and as long as you abide by his rules and help out, your life in Spargus will be peaceful and happy. You can sit up now."

She pushed the seat back in an upright position. I was happy to see that she gave me a goatee, like what I usually wore, instead of completely balding my face. She waited for my approval before grabbing scissors off of the counter.

"So how did you get here?" I asked, rubbing the goatee and inspecting it.

"The same way you did. The same way everyone else did." She shrugged, "I was banished to the desert, the Wasteland, from my previous home." She began cutting away as my hair, "It was for the best, really. I came from a hellish, _miserable_ place. I had no family left. I had a very good friend for a short amount of time. But that was it."

I nodded, "I came from a place like that, too. But...I have someone waiting for me where I come from," A memory of Darla's face flashed through my mind, an image of her screaming on her knees as Torn and Maichael gripped her arms. I shivered, "I have no idea how or when I'm going to be able to return."

"You might not_ want_ to return after your experience here," She shook her black hair out of her eyes, "My life has changed for the better. I am stronger than I was in that other place. I have new comrades here that I know will have my back, as I have theirs." She finished chopping away at my hair, returning the scissors to the counter. She rustled her hands through my hair so that the loose pieces fell to the floor, "What do you think?"

I observed my new cut in the mirror and it felt like I was looking at a new person. She had cut and styled it so that it was short and spikey. It felt light and like there was a weight taken off of my head. I grinned, placed my goggles back onto my head and stood, satisfied with the new look, "Thank you. I really appreciate it."

She reached her hand out and I shook it, "It's no big deal, this is what I like to do in my spare time." She awkwardly ran her hand through her dark hair, "Hopefully you will survive in the arena and we can go on a job together sometime."

I chuckled, "Hopefully. It wouldn't be my first time fighting in a battle." I turned to leave, but then a question formed in my mind, "Hey, where did you say you were from again?"

"I didn't," The girl said, "Most of Spargus' people are banished from Haven City specifically, and so was I. Haven City was my home."

"Me, too." I said quietly, "A lot of people here seem to have been 'banished' rather than have left Haven willingly..." She avoided my eyes and I pried more, "What did you do that was so bad it got you banished?"

"We're all castaways here. But, actually, I'd made a bargain with some Krimzon Guards. My banishment was my ticket to freedom." She sighed and her icy blue eyes met mine, "I was a rogue in Haven City. I worked for the Underground's fight to take down Baron Praxis."

"So was I, a rogue I mean," I stared at her strangely, wondering how long she'd been in the Underground before I'd come around, "Praxis is dead now, as is the metalhead leader. The city is under Praxis's daughter's rule now, but metalheads are rebelling, so it's still a living hell over there."

"Praxis is dead? That's amazing...!" Her eyes widened, "Who took him down?"

"The metalhead leader, ironically," I shrugged, "And then I took down the metalhead leader."

She stepped back slightly, startled by my response, "You? You took down the leader of those beasts..."

I nodded, "It's kind of my thing to help people," I frowned, "Not that it matters now. They think I'm a monster because my blood is tainted with Dark eco...which is why I was banished."

"Ridiculous," The girl spat, "Those Haven traitors will cast out anyone who is...different." We stood in silence for a moment, and I reflected on my past as I assume she was reflecting on hers.

"Well," She clapped her hands together, breaking the short silence, "You'd better be off. I'm sure Damas is ready to meet you and discuss what happens next."

"Yes, thank you again. For the hair cut and such," I said with a smile, "And for being so kind. I hope to see you after whatever challenge I have to face first."

"You will, I assure you," She flashed a white grin, "Good luck. I'm sure you will do great."

I saluted her and headed toward the stairs, pausing on the first step, "I didn't catch your name," I said, turning toward her.

She laughed, "Oh! Sorry." She ran her hand through her thick faux-hawk again before continuing.

"My name is Nica."

**JDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJD**

**A/N:**

Curve-ball! I know many of you missed our beloved character **NICA**! It was so hard for me to pretend like her character was actually gone for good. Now it is time for her to reemerge and regain her place in my story!

Please _**Read and Review!** _I shall update soon.


	4. The Past

**A/N:**

I'm back after a long break from writing! My final year have college has been both challenging and rewarding, and I am all caught up on my work. Now I have time to catch up on MTLH 2!

A nice and lengthy chapter for you all. I present to you: Chapter 3.

**JDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJ**

_Daxter_.

I swung on my little hammock, thinking about Tess. Mostly her boobs. Hey, a man's gotta do what he's gotta do to get through the day! I mean, of course I loved Tessie for her...personality. But daydreaming about "personality" was not going to keep me alive out in No-man's land.

I heard Jak's voice in the distance and climbed down off my hammock, trying to think of some one-liners that would insult whatever hairstyle he would walk in with. I hopped onto the center table and rubbed my hands together as the door opened.

I opened my mouth to speak but the look on Jak's newly-trimmed face concerned me. His blue eyes were wide and his lips were pursed together. He wasn't all the way in the room either, just partly through the cracked door.

"What is it, Jakie-boy, haircut that bad?" I laughed nervously. "What's the-"

He opened the door the rest of the way and revealed behind him a young woman who was twiddling her thumbs. She was looking down at the floor, a black flop of hair covering her eyes.

"Wh-who's this?" I asked.

Jak awkwardly blinked and looked up at the ceiling, "Um..."

I was sure my face had an incredulous expression because I literally had no idea what the fuck this girl was doing in our room. She entered and tilted her head to look at me through her hair, her eyes piercingly ice blue. I felt a wave of familiarity that made me feel extremely uncomfortable.

"Daxter?" The girl said quietly, her brow furred.

I shook my head, "I'm sorry...have we met...?" I felt really, REALLY uncomfortable now. I hated running into people I'd forgotten. She was like a foggy dream standing in front of me, looking familiar but older, wiser, stronger-

"Daxter it's me!" She looked hurt, "It's Nica."

I felt like I needed to sit down. "N-Nica? Neek?!" Like, my deceased best friend who gave me life when I thought nothing mattered anymore? The one who tried to help me find Jak every single day? "NEEK?!"

She rushed to the table and scooped me up into her arms, clutching me to her chest (which on any normal day would be much less emotional and much more thrilling) and she began sobbing.

I hugged back but I felt a lot of different things...joy, shock, relief, confusion...but I also felt kind of angry.

**JDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJ**

_Jak_.

The look on Dax's face when Nica told him who she was bothered me.

He looked extremely..._disturbed_. I wasn't sure how he would react to reuniting with his supposedly dead friend. She was crying and hugging him, and his arms were wound around her neck, but his face was so _blank_.

Nica placed Dax back onto the table and he wobbled a bit before shaking his head, "How...?" He asked quietly.

Nica wiped her eyes, "God, Daxter, it's a long, _long_ story, but I'm here and you're here and-"

"Let me stop you right there." Daxter cut her off, putting his hands up, "You're here, alive, in Spastic City-"

"-Spargus City-"

"Spargus City, whatever," Daxter waved his hand, rolling his eyes, "You're here living it up and neglected to even call me?"

Nica was taken aback. She blinked quickly, "Daxter, like I said, it's a long story but I-"

"You _didn't even call me_ to let me know you didn't kill yourself?! Not even a letter..." Dax put his hands on his hips. He looked furious, and I felt invasive standing in the room with them.

"Dax," I started carefully, "She had her reasons..."

Daxter lifted his eyebrow at me, "Jak! You of all people should understand, you were there when I got the news, you saw how I..." He trailed off and turned away from us. I felt guilty all of a sudden; I really should be on his side, but I thought he would be so happy to see Nica alive.

"Daxter...I'm sorry...I really, truly am." Nica placed her hands on her chest pleadingly.

"I thought you were _so_ brave and strong despite ending your own life, I thought you did it because you lost everything, that you went down guns blazin'...!" Daxter's voice hitched in his throat and he sighed, "But I was wrong, you were a coward just trying to start a new life...and without me." He turned slightly toward her, "Did you even _try_ to find me?"

"Daxter the least you could do is let me explain-"

"The _least I could do_? You left _me_, remember, Toots?" He shook his head violently, "You need to go. I need some time..." He got off the table, headed for his hammock and climbed into it, facing away from us.

Nica turned to face me, a look of despair covering her face. I shrugged my shoulders and mouthed "sorry". She nodded, looking down at the floor. As she went to exit, I put a hand on her shoulder and whispered, "He'll come around, I'm sure he's just shocked..."

"I know. Thanks, Jak." She whispered back as she left the room. I shut the door behind her.

I chewed my bottom lip and shuffled over to his hammock, pulling a chair with me. "Dax, I know you're not as pissed as you think you are."

He rolled over to face me, his mouth forming a heavy frown. "I just feel...betrayed, you know?"

"Yeah, I know. Remember how hard it was for me to adjust to this new life? With Dark Eco inside me? I'm still not even used to it sometimes..." I was overcome with sadness, "I felt that I had been abandoned and no one had looked for me when I was in prison. I didn't know where any of you were and the anger consumed me for two years. But when I found out how everyone's lives had been during my absence, it made so much more sense." I pat his shoulder, "You need time to think, I get it. But give Nica the benefit of the doubt."

Daxter sat up and nodded slowly, "Yeah. I will."

There was a knock on the door and a monk poked her head in, "Newcomers?"

"Yes," Dax and I said simultaneously.

"King Damas will see you now."

**JDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJ**

"Well, you've come back from the dead, have you?" With a voice hoarse and raspy, the king of Spargus stood from his throne, "And my monks were ready to pray for you...I am Damas, King of Spargus." He stood tall and proud, with white and maroon dreadlocks and eyes so violet it reminded me of Dark eco. He was wearing ancient Precursor armor that matched the theme of the city, and he held a staff, its purpose I was unsure of. He had a grin that held both wisdom and mischievousness, if it were possible to be both qualities.

"We are the forgotten ones," He continued as he approached Daxter and I, "Haven City's refuse, thrown out and left to die. Just as you were," He shook both of our hands, "But now that you have been saved, your life belongs to the people of Spargus. And we will use it well...If it's actually worth anything."

Dax scrambled onto my shoulder to look Damas square in the eye, "Hey! That sounds like a bad deal."

Damas lifted his eyebrows, clearly not amused, "You are in no position to 'deal'. Out here everything is either useful or dead weight." He practically spat "dead weight" and I felt like he was applying that we were..."Prove yourselves worthy, or the desert will be your grave."

_Is this guy kidding?_ I crossed my arms. "You need to work on making a better first impression."

Damas laughed humorlessly, "In the unforgiving Wasteland we value strength and survival _above all_. We will see where you stand soon enough." He turned away from us to return to his throne, "Complete your training, then enter the arena. Just the bravest crawl out and are allowed to stay in Spargus. It's quite simple really."

Dax glanced at me nervously, "Um, what happens to the ones that _don't_ crawl out?"

Damas smirked at us slyly, "Then it will be as if we never found you."

Daxter looked at me again and swallowed hard, "I was afraid of that."

**JDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJD**

My head swirled with black and violet. I looked around me at all the bodies I had just torn through after my demon side broke out. Through my foggy vision I could see a monk in the distance watching my every move intently. I moved to my feet and turned to face Damas (and Pecker who also happened to survive the desert and _for some reason_ had been chosen to be Damas's advisor) and shook my head to clear it.

Daxter pat my shoulder to make sure I was okay and Damas stood, glaring at me. "Something you're not telling us, animal man?"

"He has been touched with Dark eco, my liege," Pecker said with dramatic effect. Damas's eyes widened, with shock or horror, I wasn't really sure, but it made me feel like I wanted to crawl into a hole.

Dax hopped off my shoulder to stand up for me, "Our boy here gets all mean and nasty when you piss him off!" He smile proudly, as if my abilities were a gift, "So don't piss him off...word to the wise."

"Ah!" Damas's face slowly formed a grin, "Then he is _dangerous_!" He tilted his head toward Pecker and murmured, "And that could be useful." He reached into a pocket of his under-armor and pulled out an ancient looking medallion, "Your bravery has earned you your first battle amulet!" He tossed it to me and I caught it, not really giving a shit considering I was more worried about saving mine and Daxter's asses than winning some "amulet". I lifted my eyebrow and Damas continued, "If you are victorious in two more arena fights, you will earn your citizenship in Spargus." He also included a free gate pass to get us into and out of the city, and two gun mods and tossed them to me as well. Dax hopped back onto my shoulder and I walked away with my "prizes" feeling more annoyed than proud. I glanced over to where I saw that monk staring at me, but he or she was gone.

"Only two more events and we're gold, baby!" Dax said happily as I walked through the palace towards the exit, "And now we're well enough to go outside. You think Spargus has any good bars?"

I shrugged, "I'm really not looking to stay here long, Daxter...we have a life elsewhere."

"Yeah, yeah I know man but while we're stuck here we might as well soak it in, am I right?"

I stepped out the gate doors into the cool night air. It was beautiful here, even if the only illumination was from the Night star and several torches and street lamps. The city was built along an ocean coast and it reminded me so much of Sandover Village, our original wonderful home. "Yeah," I said, feeling more at ease now that we were outside in the fresh air, "Might as well enjoy it while we're here...who knows when we will leave?"

We walked around the city which was buzzing with people. Most of the people had weapons on hand. People here were nothing like Haven City's citizens, who were weak and defenseless, meek and always hiding. No...these men and women were strong and could take care of themselves, and spoke to one another as equals. They also used these lizard-like animals called leapers to get around rather than the zoomers we were accustomed to in Haven. I couldn't help but think how much Darla would love it here...it pained me to even think about her. It had already been two weeks, who knew how long we would need to stay? What if we didn't _want_ to leave, and would rather have our friends here...It seemed so much safer and freer and...more alive here.

"Hey, Jak, look over there," Daxter pointed near the shore, "It's some of those monks. What are they playin' with?"

There were four monks surrounding what looked like a menacing, Dark eco-consumed piece of machinery. I lightly jogged over to the huddled monks to check it out. It seemed like they were praying.

"What're ya working on, monk boy?" Daxter asked the monk nearest to the machine. He replied without facing us.

"It is none of your concern, animal." His voice was youthful and raspy. He waved his hand over the machine as if casting a spell on it.

Daxter leapt off my shoulder, "LOOK, coloring book," He spit, referring to the face paint the monks normally adorned, "We've had a hard two weeks. Don't push it," He jabbed the monk in the leg with his pointer finger.

The monk faced us, a grimace on his face, "My name is _Seem_, animal. And the arena shows all, Dark One," He looked directly at me then and I realized he was the monk who had been watching my fight. "Hate consumes your eyes."

_Hate...I know too much hate_. I didn't like this monk, or Seem, tapping into my emotions like I was some sort of play thing. Hatred consumed a lot more than just my eyes. "Great. Thanks for the tip."

Seem smirked and I wanted to wipe it right off his face...with my fist. "It _will_ destroy you," He hissed, "Just as the Precursors destroyed themselves," He gestured to the dark machine.

"It doesn't look like any Precursor crap we've seen," Daxter crossed his arms skeptically.

"These artifacts are an abomination. One fell on the Great Volcano," The monk stated, his red eyes wide, "We sent an expedition to the mountain," He closed his eyes sadly, "But my monks never returned. Ill tidings sing in the wind...I feel the remaking of the world is at hand."

Daxter and I glanced at each other with the same thought in mind. He shook his head, "I think you've been out in the sun a little to long," Dax remarked, "Let's go, Jak."

We turned to leave but Seem stopped us, "You must leave this place," He stated, "Heroes think they can save the world when they themselves are _lost_."

I stopped in my tracks. Lost...I was the last person who needed to be given advice regarding my problems. The monk continued, "You could not _possibly_ understand the dark forces that are at work here..."

I felt my body flare with heat and I snarled and spun around, "_Don't_ talk to _me_ about dark powers." I stood tall over Seem and he backed up in surprise. I glanced at the piece of machinery and gestured to it, "I want to know what this is-"

As my hand neared the machine, I felt a familiar electric shock of Dark energy course through my fingertips. I jumped slightly and the machine roared to life, revealing some sort of screen with codes on it. I held my shocked hand to my chest and rubbed it, and Seem stared at me. "Stand back," I said, even though I wasn't sure what else would happen when I touched the machine again. I leaned close to the screen and placed my hand against it, feeling heat and electricity surge from my chest and head, through my arm and out of my hand into the machine. It was definitely made of Dark matter, otherwise I wouldn't be able to tap into its mechanics using my abilities.

It eventually whirred and roared to life, and I pulled my hand back as a small compartment on it opened, revealing a strange looking crystal the color of Dark eco.

"You cracked it, Jak!" Dax said from behind me.

"Don't touch it!" The monk exclaimed in fear as I reached out to take it, "Dark eco..."

I rolled my eyes and grabbed it anyway. The main screen reappeared with its weird codes and Dax chuckled, "Yeah, you're impressed now, aren't ya monk boy?" He clapped his hands together, "Come on, give him props!"

I rolled the crystal in my hand and Seem slowly approached, "Those are solid Dark eco crystals! It has been passed down through time that they power the greatest of Precursor technologies..." He went closer to the screen on the machine, "Strange..." He whispered, "It speaks an ancient dialect...The earliest Precursor forms. Something about reclaiming this unfinished world..."

I stared at the images flashing on the screen. The symbols looked so, so familiar to me. Dax and I had seen them before. In our old life. "Those look like...coordinates," I muttered, "Like the ones from-"

"It is picking up a very powerful signal," Seem interrupted, backing up slightly.

"I-I don't think we're going to like what this thing is yapping to..." Daxter said warily, retreating as well.

Suddenly the ground cracked and shook like there was an earthquake occurring, and the machine yanked itself out from the desert ground. I stumbled backwards, almost losing my footing, and the machine hovered in the air like an intimidating space craft, until violent purple lights protruded from it. It shook some more before completely exploding in thin air.

People nearby screamed and we all ducked as small shards of Dark eco metals fell to the earth. My eyes widened and my heart was pounding and all I could think about was that I almost blew up Spargus.

We rose to our feet, staring at the mess of metal all around us. Seem huffed and glared at me, "Even you cannot save us from this, hero!" He snarled in annoyance.

"HEY! I'm the real hero here," Daxter piped up and I just shook my head, "You can call me Orange Lightning! Za-za ZING!" He did some funny little dance and I almost walked away in embarrassment.

"You may carry the color of our creators, animal, but _we_ have plans to save ourselves...Stay out of our business!" The monk pushed past us to join his friends, "You and Orange Lightning are _not_ welcome here." He summoned his fellow monks and they climbed onto their leapers, riding towards the palace.

I glared after them and shook my head, "What the fuck do they know, they've been living in a desert," I threw my hands up in frustration, "They have no clue what's outside these walls."

"Don't let them bother you, Jak, they just believe in some weird mumbo-jumbo shit that we'll ignore." He rolled his eyes and climbed up onto my arm, "Let's go crash, I've had enough excitement for today."

**JDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJ**

Several days rolled by and we had been running errands for Damas left and right. Nica had stopped by our room once or twice- it had been awkward but Daxter was beginning to warm up. He wasn't ready to talk to her yet though, and I couldn't blame him.

The city walls were starting to make me feel a little claustrophobic and I wanted to go on an artifact run with some of Damas's warriors, something that involved driving around in one of the sick ground zoomers that were owned by one of Damas's commanders, a fat bastard named Kleiver, and searching the desert for lost Precursor artifacts. Dax and I had yet to be outside the walls, and I would do _anything_ just to get a little air. So, we headed over to the garage to see if Kleiver would let us tag along on the next artifact search.

"Well, if it isn't the newbies," Kleiver said as we entered the garage, his accent thick and bald head shining.

"Keep yappin', jelly boy," Daxter taunted, "We'll see who-"

"Bite your bum, rat face!" Kleiver tore Daxter off of my shoulder and looked him square in the eye, "Or I'll pound ya!" He placed my friend back onto my shoulder, who gagged in disgust.

"DAMN! Great stink of the _Precursors_!" Daxter exclaimed, waving a hand in front of his face, "I got two words for you..._toothbrush_!"

I couldn't help but laugh, but I was soon distracted by the many beautiful, new-looking vehicles. They were each individually unique and appeared to have special abilities. "Nice rides." I stated smoothly, trying not to sound too eager to drive one.

"You like what you see?" Kleiver grinned through his blonde mustache, "We use these babies to make runs into the deep desert to retrieve artifacts. Tough wheels for tough work."

I clenched and unclenched my fists hopefully, "You said we could use one. A few days ago."

Kleiver turned to me and smirked, "I did, didn't I?" He rubbed his chin, "But not one of those," He pointed to the high tech cars across the garage, "Those are for the big boys. You can use that one." He then pointed directly behind me and I turned to see a little shitty car, decked out with clearly the most advanced antenna topper and nothing more.

Daxter made a face, one that definitely mirrored mine. "Ha! What a runt!"

Kleiver laughed, "Seems to fit you."

It may have looked shitty...but it was my only chance outside and my only chance to drive. I ran up to it, "Get in, Dax, I'll drive."

"Care to wager a little something on a race, then?" Kleiver asked as I examined the car, "If you win, I'll let you keep that little vehicle for as long as you live." I smirked, running my hand along the red and silver metal the vehicle adorned. I get kick Kleiver's ass in a race _and_ keep the car? It would so be worth it. He cleared his throat, "And if I win...?"

I shook my head, "I don't have _anything_..." I seriously didn't; we'd arrived in Spargus with literally just the clothes on our backs.

"I'd say that yappy rodent of yours is a bit bony, but skinned and buttered he'd make a nice treat." Kleiver rubbed his heavy stomach and Daxter's mouth was agape in horror. "My vehicle against him."

"FORGET IT, buddy!" Daxter shouted, "Jak would _NEVER_-"

"Done!" I agreed to the deal with full confidence. Daxter stared down at me furiously and I felt the blood flow to my face, "What?" I asked sheepishly. His nostrils flared. "Don't worry!" I said, grinning at my pissed off friend, "If there's one thing I can do, it's race!"

We hopped into the car and I placed my goggles over my eyes. Kleiver explained how the race course would look and how to work the car, and helped us get strapped in. "You might want to cover that pretty-boy face of yours with that there bandana you've got around your neck. Wouldn't want it to get windburn, would we?" He snickered and I rolled my eyes, covering my nose and mouth with the bandana.

"Let's do this!" My muffled voice spoke. Kleiver headed over to one of his nicer vehicles and prepped it for the race.

The outer gate doors slid open and immediately sand blew into the garage. "OUCH!" Dax yelped, quickly covering his eyes with his own goggles.

I snorted. "Sand in the eyes, Dax?"

He laughed and nodded, "Yeah, Jak, I guess the idea of Kleiver _eating me for dinner_ distracted me and I missed the cover-your-face memo."

A weird sense of Deja-vu flooded through me. _I've seen this exact moment before_, I thought to myself as I put the car into drive. I had seen this before, I was so certain._ In a dream maybe_...I paid no mind to it and pressed on the gas.

**JDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJ**

_Darla_.

Two months and four days. That's how long it had been since Jak was taken away.

It was just long enough for the metalheads to press their attacks. The city was continuing to fall apart, even with the amount of Freedom Fighters we had recruited since the new war began. It wasn't helping that the pregnancy was fucking with my visions- though they were accurate, they were so scarce now...and they always were weird and twisted and had little details that just made no sense.

It was a quiet night tonight, though. New Haven was the safest part of the city right now and provided a sense of normality for everyone. I was looking out my apartment window, watching the Freedom Fighters patrolling and people bustling this way and that way to get where they needed to go. Some were drunk. I envied them a little.

But my little nearly three-month sized bump reminded me sober life was all going to be worth it in the end.

_**You're just...disgusting.**_

_Stop it_, I thought back to my alter ego, turning away from the window and looking down at my slightly protruding stomach, _Be nice, it can probably hear you_.

_**This...thing has made me have to go into hibernation...I don't like it**_, My demon made a _bleh_ sound.

_It's _not_ a thing,_ I rolled my eyes,_ it's a person._

**_Um..._** She started laughing and it startled me, _**...Not sure if you're aware of this...but...**_

"What?" I said aloud, "Aware of what?"

She laughed more and it made me feel uncomfortable. **_You're little "person" is a little "monster"!_**

I rolled my eyes. "No," I rubbed my stomach anxiously and approached the mirror on my bedroom door. I examined myself- I looked the same other than my little bump. But my eyes were very tired and very dark, my blue irises appeared to be hidden in shadow, looking a lot like the black beady eyes I wore when I was in my darker form. "No, he or she is fine."

_**DARLA, WAKE UP!**_ Her loud snarl made me jump and I felt sick and dizzy for a moment, _**You know what's wrong with it. I am your subconscious. I'm trying to warn you. You know. We both know. **_

"You mean Dark eco. My Dark eco," I swallowed hard until the dizziness subsided, "I don't think it will harm the baby, both it's parents have survived intense shock from it..." I was always worried about how my genetic alteration would affect the baby, but the healer I had been seeing said he saw nothing in me that would physically harm it.

_**That's not what I'm talking about.**_ She said solemnly, _**You and I both know the baby will be sick. Just like you are and just like Jak is.**_

_Sick?_ I thought back, blinking at myself in the mirror, staring down at my belly.

_**Both his parents have Dark eco-consumed genetics, you never thought about that?**_ She groaned, **_Darla, sometimes you're SO fucking thick..._**

_You mean..._ "The baby will have Dark eco in it's DNA..." I practically whispered.

_**Bingo.** _

I turned away from the mirror, feeling a form of self-loathing. Though I had long ago come to terms with who I was and I knew I was never at fault for what had happened to me on Misty Island all those years ago...I always _hated_ the fact that I had a demon forever riding on my shoulder until my last breath of life. And though I never expected to be in the position I was in now...I knew deep down there would be a huge chance the baby would be genetically altered, especially because both Jak and I were.

And I was so fucking terrified of it that, since the day I had the vision of being pregnant with Jak's baby, I _refused_ to come to terms with the fact that my little bump may not be okay...may not be normal...that it may suffer the way Jak and I had every day since we' been poisoned.

I couldn't come to terms with the fact that I _poisoned_ my baby.

"I...I can't..." I stammered, walking back over to the window. I gripped the windowsill, trying to swallow the burning sensation I was feeling in the back of my throat, the feeling I got before I would go out on a night run.

**_It's okay to hate yourself_**, My demon side taunted, _**Why don't we go out for a bit? Slay some metalheads...**_

At this point, I couldn't help but think _why not_.

**JDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJ**

I got back to the apartment covered in cuts, bruises and blood that wasn't my own. I'd luckily been in a pair of old ratty jeans and t-shirt because when I leapt out that open window and into the night, my demon skin tore through the material like paper.

I guiltily hurried to the bathroom and turned on the shower, making the water extremely hot. I felt bad for many reasons; first, noticing how much harm had actually come to me on this little trip. _Jak would be so pissed_, I thought to myself. I stood in the shower, watching the soap clean out the dirty cuts on my arms and legs. Second, I was guilty for changing into my monster skin for the first time since the baby really started growing. I had been in denial about the chances of it having the same...abilities as Jak and I, and thought maybe if I stopped changing into a monster, the baby wouldn't _become_ a monster. I was guilty for even thinking that way about it and should've realized that no matter what, this little "monster" would be loved _unconditionally_.

Lastly, I felt guilty because, as I arrived in the fallen Industrial Zone to shred some metalheads, NONE of them fought back. I would go in for a kill and they sat there and just _allowed_ me to kill them! They would see me stalking, close their eyes and wait for me. It made me feel extremely uncomfortable and at first I banged up some Krimzon Death Bots, almost trying to avoid attacking the metalheads. But it was in my nature to want to attack and kill a living breathing creature, as disturbing as that thought was. So eventually I just went after the metalheads. It was so weird, them not putting up any kind of fight. Maybe they knew about my...condition. Maybe they knew about the other creature living inside of me.

**_Maybe...they were afraid of it._**

My head swirled and I thought I was going to be sick. My biceps twitched as if I was going to change again but I knew I wouldn't. I just needed to breathe and stop thinking about it. _Maybe tomorrow I'll go see Onin and see what she says, maybe she can help._

_**We'll see.**_

**JDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJ**

I didn't think it was possible for Onin to look any older than she was, but damn was I wrong.

The blind, wrinkled old lady was sitting atop a metal table in one of the rooms at HQ. She seemed to be making some sort of herb concoction in a bowl of water. It was strange seeing her without Pecker interpreting her every movement and thought. As annoying as he was, I missed him and hoped he was safe somewhere, wherever Jak and Daxter were.

I tapped on the open door to avoid startling her, "Onin?" I said softly. Truthfully, I was unsure whether or not the decibels of someone's voice would kill her or not, but I was always cautious anyway. "It's Darla."

Her head snapped up in my direction and her cracked lips curled into a grin. She beckoned to me excitedly, mystic blue shimmer leaking from her fingertips. I sighed and smiled, feeling the aura in the room settle, a calmness washing over me and wrapping around me like a warm, protective blanket. I entered the room, closing the door behind me, and Onin pat the empty space of table in front of her, motioning for me to sit. I climbed onto the table (not with ease, I might add, considering climbing was not an easy thing to do lately) and sat crisscrossed. Onin kept smiling and pat my knee reassuringly.

"I'm alright," I responded to her pat. I felt like I understood Onin, maybe not in the way that Pecker could, but definitely in my own special psychic way. I always knew what she would say to me without actually hearing it out loud. Almost like a telepathy, but without words; more in an emotional connection. Maybe it was because of the psychic abilities I possessed. Either way, I was lucky to have her around to talk to.

"I'm worried about the baby. And I want Jak to come back." I said, and Onin took my hand and squeezed it. She waved her free hand around the bowl with herbs and water, blue dust dripping into it. She then picked the bowl up and handed it to me.

I smiled and took the bowl gratefully. She wanted me to drink it. "Thank you." I said. She tilted her head side-to-side happily. I got the vibe from her that liquid was supposed to be good for the baby, so I automatically sipped. It tasted like a mint tea but sweeter. I felt my body flood with warmth and felt positive energy surge through my mind.

"The baby likes it." I glanced down at my stomach, knowing the positive effects were influencing the little being inside me. I almost forgot why I was even afraid or upset. But I needed insight and I knew Onin would help.

She squeezed my hand again, waiting for me to finish the tea. Once I finished she took the bowl back and placed it behind her. She then took both of my hands in hers; her skin was soft and comforting.

I exhaled shakily. "Onin, I want to know if it's okay...I think the baby is going to be like Jak and I." Onin nodded and closed her eyes, confirming my assumptions. The baby would have Dark eco in its DNA, just as I suspected. I frowned, "Is it...going to suffer? I'm afraid...I'm so afraid of it being in any pain."

She opened her blank white eyes and stared directly at me as if she could see. She placed my hands gentle onto my stomach and brought her own hands to my face. Suddenly I lost my sight, only seeing black. It was startling but I remained calm because I knew Onin knew what she was doing. I then saw a blue-white light, brighter than the sun, so blinding I practically felt its warmth...or its chill...I couldn't really tell the difference. But it felt comfortable, safe and just...right. It felt beautiful.

Onin dropped her hands from my face and my vision was returned to me. "I don't understand..." I whispered. What did it mean? What was that light?

She put her hands over her chest and hummed, rocking back and forth, a smirk on her wise face. There was a sense of balance and control in the room, much like what I felt when I saw the light. Suddenly I felt from Onin that there would be balance in the baby's life, that there may be darkness inside of it but everything would be controlled and the baby was good and pure and it would be alright.

I was still worried though. I had visions of the baby existing but I had never seen him or her, nor seen its future or even what it looked like. It was strange for me to not have any access to that part of the future. Onin definitely couldn't see either because she would let me know of any problems so that I could take some sort of action.

I wanted to know about Jak next, though. "I can't see him, Onin. At _all_. I can't see Jak."

She knew this already. But did she know where he was? Or how he was doing? Or when...IF...he would ever return to us? She pointed at my swollen belly. She was implying that Jak was already "with" me...through our child. But that wasn't what I wanted to hear or needed right now...I needed some sort of sign.

"_Please,_ Onin." I begged, my voice cracking. I could feel my chest swelling with heartbreak, as it did every time I thought of my Jak. "Tell me something, anything!" Tears escaped my eyes and rolled down my face. Sadness washed over me- and the baby knew I was in distress. I felt it. "Please. I need to figure out how to gain back all the access I previously had to the future."

She pat my knee again. I sensed she was telling me that I still had the access, but I couldn't have all of it. Not yet. It wasn't time yet and my visions were being blocked. It wasn't me or my fault, it was just something that was happening to me. Onin tapped my forehead...she could help me gain some of it back. All I needed was a little push.

She then gripped the sides of my face, her white eyes widening. I stared into them until I was blind once again, but this time I felt the familiar ping, the tugging in the back of my mind, the feeling right before my visions would come. I felt my body relax into the sensation, the familiarity making everything feel right.

That's when my vision came. I could see him...he looked different. His hair was short and his deep blue eyes were hardened as he was focused on the task at hand. He was fighting for his life in an arena surrounded by lava, his final enemy locked in a chokehold. _Jak!_ I thought eagerly. I wished I could reach out and touch him, he looked so _present_...The vision changed then and I could see Daxter- wonderful obnoxious Daxter!- who was arguing with Pecker. So typical! I felt myself laugh through my tears.

Pecker was perched on the shoulders of a man of power, a gentleman I'd actually seen before, in my very first vision, when I'd seen so much of Jak's life in one quick motion. A man that had violet eyes filled with wisdom and courage. A man I knew Jak could rely on, someone in my warrior's life whose identity could not yet be revealed to him. It was incredible, seeing this man and my Jak, in one room, together and reunited, though neither of them would realize who the other was yet.

My head ached and I groaned in pain but it was all worth being able to see Jak and have my normal visions back. My heart swelled again, but this time it was not swelling with heartbreak- it was hope.

**JDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJ**

_Jak_.

"Hey, feather-ass, who appointed _you_ king?!" Daxter leaned forward from his spot on my new, ancient shoulder armor (worn by Mar himself), and snarled at Pecker.

"He did!" Pecker squawked, gesturing to Damas, "Well, almost. Kind of a semi-king, you know? You should see our sleeping quarters and his harem of love birds...I _never_ get any sleep these days." He snickered and I made a face, "It's good to be the king, no?" Damas and Pecker smirked at each other.

"I don't see no crown on that fat feathered head of yours!" Dax accused and Pecker squawked again at him angrily.

"You want a crown?!" He yelled, shaking his fist in fury, "I'll crown you! Don't make me come down there from this perch!"

Daxter hopped off my shoulder onto the alter in front of us, "I"VE GOT A PERCH FOR YA, BIRDIE! Right here!" Dax screamed at our Moncaw friend, and then there, in front of all of the people and King of Spargus City, he strongly and proudly held up his middle finger, flipping the "birdie" the _actual_ bird. "TWIRL ON IT!"

The crowd gasped, my face was as red and hot as the lava around us, and Pecker cried out. "That's IT! It's go time!" He flew off of Damas and right at Daxter.

"Bring it on, birdbrain!" As Pecker was about to tackle my friend, Damas rose to his feet.

"Enough! If I wanted you to fight, I would have commanded it!" He yelled, causing the two idiots to cease fire. He then turned to me but I avoided his gaze, embarassed by Daxter's actions. I was sure he'd have something negative to say...

"You did...very well, Jak." He said quietly, to my utter surprise. I looked up at the king, and I could feel my face mold into confusion. "You make me proud..." He continued, "...That our training program is so good!"

At first I thought he was saying he was proud of me, but it was stupid of me to think that. Of course he was proud of his training program- even though I didn't need it, I still made it look successful. Of course he wasn't proud of _me_. I mentally laughed at myself. Part of me kept wanting to impress Damas for some reason, but _most_ of me didn't give a fuck about what he or _anyone_ thought of me.

Damas reached into his pockets again, tossing me my second battle amulet and a new gun mod. "One more arena win and you'll be a true Wastelander!"

"Can't wait," I muttered, and I grabbed Dax off the alter and carried him toward the exit.

"What's the matter, Jak?" Daxter asked, squirming in my grasp. He wiggled out and climbed onto my shoulder.

"Nothing. Just tired." I didn't want to talk. I wasn't sure why I was feeling annoyed. "Let's go to the garage."

"Yeah, maybe dumpy-ass will need us for an artifact search," Dax said referring to Kleiver, and I couldn't help but laugh.

I was quiet as we walked outside and Dax could sense my unease. "Did I embarrass you?" He asked.

I grinned, "Nah. Well...for a split second I was _appalled_. But it was funny as hell." Daxter's body relaxed and I shook my head, "Pecker deserved it for being a royal jackass."

"Yes, 'royal' being the operative word here." Daxter muttered.

I laughed again. Suddenly a thought popped into my head, "Do you think I should've told Damas about what happened after we hunted down that last metalhead in the desert?"

I thought back to when we took down that last giant beast only the day before...

_..."Metalhead commander, report. What's happening?" A voice rang out through a communicator that had fallen in the sand, "If you lost that cargo, and you're still alive...I'll kill you myself!" The voice was metallic and hideously angry._

_Daxter and I looked at each other with wide eyes and approached the floating, fuzzy image hovering out of the communicator as it continued, "I want every Dark eco crystal you can find! Time is short. Do you hear me?!"_

_The image turned toward us and I grimaced as it stared up at me, "Wait...not _you_! NO!" I silenced it by smashing the communicator with my boot._

_"I don't like the sound of your voice." I growled._

_Daxter laughed and pointed, "You sure kicked 'sand' in his face! Oh yeah...that was good." He chuckled at his own joke._

_I couldn't help the feeling of dread forming in the pit of my stomach, "That face looked familiar."_

_Daxter made a "psh" sound, "Now you're getting paranoid, buddy boy. Come on, Big Foot, let's get back. This desert gives me the creeps."..._

"No, I think that would've made Damas nervous," Daxter's voice snapped me out of my flashback, "We don't need him to think we have something to hide, but we don't want to go runnin' to him with every little weird thing we see in the desert, you know?" He adjusted his cap straps, "Don't talk about something until it becomes an actual problem."

"I guess so." I agreed. We reached the garage and waited for the doors to slide open, "He's already worried about the Day star approaching. Seem said it means the planet's 'final trial' is coming. Whatever that means."

"I'm not about the 'doom and gloom' stuff. No thank you. Keep it away from us." Daxter shook his head as if to cast out the negative thoughts.

We entered the garage and approached Kleiver, who appeared to be in a nasty mood. _Fantastic_, I thought.

"Good, you're here, Damas has a job for us," He said sulkily, "But I'm no babysitter, so stay out of my way."

"Jak's not afraid of you...are ya, Jak?" Daxter said confidently and I frowned.

"What's your problem?" I asked the fat man.

"If you knew what was happening out here, you'd be afraid, alright," Kleiver hissed, cocking the gun he had in his arms.

"What's going on here?" Damas's voice sounded from behind me. It was strange seeing him outside the palace. _He must've followed us here_...He strode up to us and Kleiver's entire persona changed.

"_Nothing_, your lordship. Just offering Jak and the little one here some healthy advice."

Damas had a look of disappointment on his face, whether it was directed at Kleiver or me, I wasn't sure. He then put a hand on my shoulder and turned us away from Kleiver. "You have a reputation for being rash," He sounded mad but in a protective way, as if to warn and scold me. "Didn't your father ever tell you to pick your battles wisely?"

I could see Daxter out of the corner of my eye shaking his head at Damas as if to tell him not to press the issue. I felt my blood boil a little; this was not a topic I ever discussed, with anyone. Not with Keira or Darla or even Daxter. The fact that this man was addressing how I was raised was a complete insult to me, considering I had practically raised myself, and it made me feel things I'd long ago tried to stop feeling.

"I didn't know my father." I said, my voice sounded weak and it cracked, when I had planned on the statement sounding firm and emotionless. _Damnit_.

Damas was silent for a moment. I think he was trying to eat his words. Or mentally crawling into a hole to die. I was sure he was embarrassed because_ I_ felt embarrassed _for_ him. I felt Dax place his hand on the back of my head protectively. He was the only person who knew how I actually felt; we'd only had each other growing up.

Damas cleared his throat awkwardly. "My point is, sometimes you face your enemy head on," I turned to face him and I saw that he was pacing uncomfortably. He seemed to do that a lot when he spoke and gave advice. "And sometimes...you wait until his weakness is revealed. Patience is a warrior's greatest weapon," He stopped pacing and came up to me. He stood tall but his expression was softer than before. The disappointment was gone from his eyes. I felt the need to stand tall too, even though he was a bit taller than I. "Do you understand?" I nodded and Damas placed his hands behind his back, presenting himself an authoritative way. "Jak, I want you and Kleiver to go into the desert and herd a group of lizards into a waiting transport. We must prepare for whatever lies ahead. I need all the resources we can gather."

"No problem." I said, "I'm good with animals." Dax slapped the back of my head with little to no effort.

"I'll see you out there, 'chum'." Kleiver said sarcastically as he went to prep the cars.

Damas shook his head, then looked at me, his eyes serious, "Kleiver is a very valuable member of this city. Though he may appear intimidating, it is just a mask."

"We all wear masks, don't we?" I asked, giving no indication to the kind I was wearing at that moment.

Damas cracked a smile. "I suppose we do." He lifted his hand, as if he were going to place it on my shoulder again, but the he decided against it, "That being said, just cooperate with him. He will not steer you wrong."

"No pun intended," Daxter said as one of the vehicles engines revved.

"Come on, kid!" Kleiver called to me, "Those lizards won't wrangle themselves!"

**JDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJ**

**A/N:**

FOR REFERENCE: In this chapter where Jak implied that the "sand in the eyes, Dax?" moment felt familiar is from the first installment of MTLH, Chapter 5: The Hard Truth, and the part where Darla referred to her very first vision is from that same chapter of MTLH Part 1!

Sorry for the wait, but I hope it was worth it!

As always, **Read and Review**, your feedback means the world and your PMs inspire me!

RyJones


	5. Yesterday, Today, Tomorrow

**A/N:**

Here's the next Chapter ready to go! There's going to be a bunch of references to the first installment of MTLH, I will be sure to footnote them in my Author's Note at the end of the chapters they're in.

Mysterious things are about to happen...but what else is new in the world of Jak and Daxter?

Enjoy!

**JDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJ**

_Darla_.

"Okay, so...like...now you take that light blue wire there and cross it over that dark blue wire here, and attach it to the opposite little circuit board," Tess attempted to explain to me while I stared down blankly at the mine on the floor on front of me.

"Tess...I have no idea how you do this for a living," I said quietly and in awe, "Making all these intricate weapons..."

She giggled, "It pays the bills." She swiftly performed the act she was trying to explain to me and smiled, "And it's my hobby."

I had been going crazy being stuck in New Haven, my visions being the only use for the Underground. I needed more things to do, to keep me busy and distracted, and I needed to help, otherwise I just felt completely wrong. I finally begged Torn to have someone escort me to the Port to so I could see Tess and maybe help her in the armory. It was not an easy thing to do, beg Torn, not only because I usually did whatever I wanted, but _especially_ because I knew that he felt responsible for watching me since Jak was gone. But I needed to get out and help with the war effort...the city was falling apart and without Jak here, we had very little hope.

I picked the mine up and examined it gently, "As always, I'm impressed!"

Tess got to her knees and reached into her tool box for a wrench, "It keeps me busy, ya know?"

"I know," I watched her work her wrench and twist her wrist with ease and silently wished I had the patience to create lethal weapons.

"Hey, D..." She said without looking up, only stopping her work to put a stray blonde hair behind her ear, "I miss them."

Of course I knew who she was referring too. "I miss them, too. So much."

"I never thought I could love someone so much!" She squeaked, closing the mine's circuit board and setting it aside.

I was always beyond...curious about Tess and Daxter's relationship, but I never asked questions. I always felt like I shouldn't in case they felt judged or something. But I still wondered.

"How does it...work?" I asked, twirling a blonde curl aimlessly, avoiding Tess's eyes, "You know...your relationship with Dax?"

I glanced up to see Tess smiling, "You mean how is it that a human is in a serious relationship with a rodent?"

I couldn't help but laugh, "Well when you put it that way..."

"Let's just say he does a lot of...work." She giggled again and I felt my face blush intensely, "He's great."

I grinned at her, then shifted to my knees, my back killing me from the weight of my little bump. Which made me think of another question, "Do you ever wonder what it would be like if Dax were human?"

Tess shrugged, "I love him the way he is. But, yeah, I like..._always_ wonder. I hope that maybe Samos will find another way to change him back. 'Cause, like, what if I want to have babies like you and Jak?" Her eyes glanced down at my stomach and I suddenly felt very exposed in my overalls. I blushed again.

"But then I think about how happy I am right now at the moment with the way things are and I realize none of the other stuff matters when you're in love." She sighed and smiled, her eyes spacing out. They began to well with tears and she covered her face.

I frowned, "Tessie..." I scooted over to her; she was breaking my heart. She was always so positive and chipper and to see her cry made me sad.

She threw her arms around my neck, catching me off guard, "I JUST MISS THEM SO MUCH, DARLA!" She wailed into my shoulder and I wrapped my arms around her waist.

"I know, I know! Shh," I pat her back, feeling my own eyes become blurry with liquid. My damn hormones were making me so much more emotional than I was used to. "They're okay, I've seen them in my visions, they're very okay."

Tess pulled back and wiped her eyes, "You have?" She took my hands in hers, "How do they look? Where are they?"

"I'm not sure exactly where they are, but they're safe. They look the same, just tired. Stronger too."

"Stronger," Tess repeated, nodding as she was processing my words, "They're always so strong together."

That sentence broke me, but in a good way. I cried sadly and happily at the same time, thinking of two of my favorite men, always there for each other since day one. Daxter was Jak's whole world, and despite telling Dax to stay in Haven with us, I knew Jak would not have survived without him. Daxter may not be the biggest or toughest of us, but he kept us alive. He kept Jak alive.

"My god, I just walked into a shit show didn't I."

Tess and I ceased our cries to face the voice of dear, sassy Keira. She was standing there in the entrance of the armory, eyes wide and wary, "Is everyone okay...?"

I wiped my face with my sleeve, "Yeah," Tess helped me to my feet, "Just going through a lot."

Keira walked over and smiled, wiping a drying tear from the dimple on my right cheekbone, "I know. That's why I came to see if you guys wanted to grab a bite to eat." My stomach growled in response and Tess and Keira laughed. Keira lowered her hand to touch my little bump. "Maichael's off duty, he can meet us if you'd like?"

I felt my face light up. I hadn't seen Maichael in days, he'd been so busy helping Torn. "Yes, I'd absolutely-"

I felt a weird ping in my stomach. "Oh!" I said in surprise. It was hard to describe- it wasn't painful, nor was it comfortable. It was just...strange and different.

Keira's eyes blinked fast, retracting her hand, "I think..." She placed her hand back on my bump, "I think it _moved_! It shocked me..."

I looked down at the spot her hand was resting, "I was surprised too!"

She shook her head, "Darla, I meant it _literally_ shocked me. Like how the scar on your right shoulder shocked anyone who touched it when you first got your abilities...But it didn't hurt."

I felt the weird pulse again, "Ah! Wow." Keira retracted her hand again and laughed. "What is this?" I asked, even though I had an idea what the answer would be.

"I think the baby is moving a little." Tess responded, placing her hand on my stomach now, "Maybe it's _so hungry_, it's trying to get your attention with Dark eco."

"Tess, that could actually be an accurate explanation," Keira said, staring at her in surprise.

Tess shrugged, "Sometimes I just know things. And sometimes I don't," She laughed.

I felt the weird ping again and realized I was starving, "Let's go get food, before we make it angry..."

The girls laughed and we cleaned up the armory before heading out. As we exited, I looked down at my small bump and for the first time since I had become pregnant, I really truly was overcome with love. I smiled down at the life growing inside me, coming to the realization that there was actually something in there and it would one day be in my arms and I would have a child. And with Jak..._Jak is going to have a child and he has no idea yet_...

**_Darla, you're__-!_**

My demon's voice was the last thing I heard before all I saw was black, and I hit the ground.

**JDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJ**

_Jak_.

"I DO NOT APPRECIATE YOU BOTH FORCING ME INTO BEING A FLYING OTTSEL. NO THANK YOU!" Daxter was pouting and scurrying away from Nica and I, annoyed that we forced him on this little field trip.

I looked at Nica, who was trying not to laugh, and shrugged. We'd decided to go explore the volcano out in the desert that Seem said other monks had been lost in. Of course, Daxter had protested, especially when he realized we'd have to take gliders if we wanted to enter through the cone...But when I suggested Nica come with us, his whole demeanor changed.

Nica wiped sweat off her forehead and slicked her short black hair back, "Now what? We lookin' for these monks or assuming they're dead?"

"Well, I assume they're dead," I said, a little heartlessly. I mean, come on, Seem looked like he knew for a fact they'd never return when he _said_ they never returned. "Why don't we just look around?"

"Hey," Daxter said, finally returning to us, "Didn't monk-boy say they went to check out one of those Dark eco machine things?"

"Yeah," I said, scratching my ear, "He _did _say they went to check it out...he called it a 'satellite', I think."

"Yeah there's been a couple of those," Nica said, rolling her shoulders, cracking her neck, "Let's look for it and see it up close."

Dax and I agreed (well, I agreed and Daxter reluctantly nodded his head after taking is rightful place on my shoulder) and we started our trek through the huge, flaming volcano.

It was boiling hot in there, of course- sweat was rolling down my face and I could taste the salt on my lips. I was so grateful to have short hair now, I would've never lasted in Spargus with the amount I had before. Our water jugs evaporated every time we used steaming streams to refill them. I couldn't comprehend the fact that plant and wildlife survived in here...I guess they adapted to the heat. Just as the people of Spargus City had.

Eventually we came to a grassy, rocky clearing at the base of a cliff. A latter was conveniently placed along the side of the cliff reaching the top, which we could not see. Nica and I looked at each other as if to ask "shall we?" and I proceeded to climb up the latter.

When we reached the top, we saw the incredibly large and intimidating satellite drilled into the earth it sat on. It was silver and violet, metallic and so hot I could smell the Dark eco cooking all over it. To our unpleasant surprise, a cooked-to-stone monk was on his knees, frozen in time, a statue in mid-scream here for eternity. In his hands was a small purple statue that resembled the face of mosquito. Electric bolts wrapped around it, flickering out and in dangerously.

"That's so sad..." Nica murmured, trying to look anywhere but at the dead monk.

Daxter hopped off my shoulder and approached the poor thing, "Looks like it didn't agree with him." He studied the small, glowing statue in the monk's hands. He reached for it, but I stopped him.

"Don't touch it, Daxter," I said, staring at it warily, "Who knows what more Dark Eco would do to you?"

"Look at me, Jak." He lifted his eyebrows, unamused, "I'm short, I'm hairy and I itch in strange places." I wrinkled my nose uncomfortably and he put his hands together, "I couldn't do worse. Relax. I know what I'm doing." He turned to extract the statue, and touched it awkwardly, making a sound of disgust. "Oh yuck...cold, clammy dead hands..." He retracted his hands a bit before proceeding, "Oh I can't look!" He grunted, yanking on the statue until finally the dead monk's arms crumbled into dust, causing Dax to fall backwards roughly, and the statue went soaring into the air.

As it headed straight for Dax I shouted for him to look out, got a running start and caught it in mid-air, summersaulting to the ground. Nica let out a sharp exhale of relief and I stood and faced her and Dax.

Suddenly I felt electricity pulse through my arms through the statue, and a ball of light formed around my hands, "Uh...!"

"Jak? Jak!" Daxter spun around, and Nica stepped back in alarm.

"I'm right here Dax, can't you-" I slowly looked down at myself...to see that I was completely invisible. "-see...me?"

"Where are ya, buddy?!" Daxter's eyes widened and I tossed the statue I was clutching to the ground. it shattered into pieces and my body reappeared.

"What the fuck was that?" Nica said, staring at the pieces of statue, "You disappeared, Jak!"

I watched little snaps of violet electricity spiral around my fingertips, "It must be a Dark power. Some kind of invisibility..."

"Yeah, well, cut it out!" Dax exclaimed, clearly still startled, "If you had moved that fast a long time ago, I'd still be wearing _pants_." He spun around and walked away, and I couldn't help but roll my eyes. He stopped, "You know what I really miss? Soft underpants."

Nica glanced at me, a look of disturbance on her face as he continued, "You know, how it lifts and cradles," He sighed and scowled as he saw the look on Nica's face, "You wouldn't understand...come one, we're out of here!" He went on his way and Nica followed behind him.

I looked down at the now-handless dead monk and felt pity for him, hoping his death was quick...because it sure as hell wasn't painless.

We continued through tunnels of the volcano, finding more and more places to get lost. The tunnels became more narrow, changing to winding corridors. The sound of trickling water echoed through the halls as well as the pitter-patter of little rodents and insects scurrying around the stone floor.

Nica and Daxter chattered quietly ahead of me. I examined the ceiling and how high its arches were becoming, suddenly feeling cold air and goosebumps rise up on my skin. _There must be an opening up ahead_, I thought to myself. The flat floor turned into stone steps leading down into another twisty hallway, and that's when Nica and Dax were dead silent.

They stopped ahead of me, turning toward me, ears cocked. _They hear something_...I listened intently, closing my eyes and tilting my head.

Voices.

The low murmur of voices carried through the air toward us. I looked at Daxter, questioning whether or not we should keep going. But Nica had already moved forward to investigate. I silently crept along, scooping up Daxter as I caught up with her. Finally, we entered an enormous cathedral-like room. In the center stood a majestic statue, with bulging eyes and a mosquito face. It was the same rusted orange-brown as the Precursor oracles back in Haven City and Sandover Village. It's gigantic arms were outstretched, as if to welcome us, and in each hand there was a flat, circular platform, like two empty serving platters.

The three of us stared up in awe, but the peace-filled air shattered around us as a man's voice shouted, "I WANT NO EXCUSES!"

We all jumped and hid behind the nearest pillar. Nica's icy eyes widened and met mine and Dax hid behind my shoulder armor. I leaned over to peek out at the unwelcome company of two figures, standing on a platform across the room. At first I couldn't tell who the two were...but the shouting man's voice rang throughout the cathedral again, and that's when I knew.

"_You_ told me this could be done," that evil _bastard_, Count Veger, hissed angrily at a praying monk, "Now MAKE IT SO!" He lurched at the monk with his staff in an attempt to scare him.

Rage boiled in me and my tainted blood pumped faintly. My head started feeling heavy with anger and sadness.

"What a fuck," Daxter muttered in annoyance.

"Who is that...?" Nica began to ask, but the argument between Veger and the monk continued.

"But we have so little time. The Day star approaches!" The monk, who I now recognized as Seem, pleaded. "You know what it brings!"

"Unfortunate, yes," Veger said, turning away from Seem, "We will deal with that as soon as I have _full_ access to the catacombs. Just continue your work, and I'll deal with those idiots in Haven. I promise you will meet your makers." His sneer made me feel sick, and it was worse to watch him walk away with his head still attached to his body. Seem hung his head and followed Veger through a door.

When the coast was clear, the three of us stepped out from behind the pillar. I shook my head frustrated, my face emanating heat that I'm sure Nica could see and Dax could feel. Nica proceeded to ask again who Veger was, but not wanting to get into what the man had done to me, I asked a question of my own.

"Why are the catacombs so important...?" I asked myself more than I asked the others. Daxter shrugged and hopped off my shoulder, probably feeling the uncomfortable heaviness I did.

He bounced over to the edge of the platform, which overlooked dark depths of the unknown, a place you wouldn't want to fall into. He placed his paws on his hips. "Hey, it's one of those goober-eyed Precursor thingies!"

As I took a step closer, the statue's eyes snapped open, revealing a blinding blue light. The three of us jumped in surprise and it spoke, "_Greetings, great warrior_!" It boomed, so loud I worried the mountain would cave in, "_Your return brings us great hope_." I took another step closer as it continued, "_This planet's future is at a critical juncture. The Dark Ones have found your world again, and fate hangs in the balance where the past and the future collide_..."

Before I could even begin to understand, Daxter's turned to me slowly, eyebrows raised, _clearly_ unamused. "Do you have _any_ idea what he just said?" I opened my mouth to respond but he turned to the oracle again, this time shouting, "SPEAK-A-DA-NORMAL LANGUAGE! Okay?!"

The oracle continued, "_You will need all the power you can muster to survive this terrible test, great one_."

_Another power? No_...Though having certain abilities had its perks, I really just couldn't deal with anymore of the pain that comes along with it. More powers meant more Dark eco inside of me. I didn't want it._ I can't do it. No more, please_...I silently begged.

"I can handle it," Daxter joked.

"_I was talking to the tall one...shorty_." The oracle remarked snidely, causing all of our mouths to gape in surprise.

"HEY!" Daxter glared, insulted.

"_Look into the light_," The oracle said, directed at me. I assumed it meant the light shining from it's slit-lidded eyes, "_And receive a power, hero_."

I stared straight ahead at first, feeling so reluctant to go through with it. I knew what I was supposed to do. But it was getting to be too much, too overwhelming. I was afraid my body wouldn't be able to handle anymore darkness. I glanced up at the statue, knowing there was no way out of it. Finally, I decided to stare into the light.

At first I went blind- all I saw was the blindingly bright blue light. I blinked frantically, trying to regain my sight. Suddenly, I felt overcome with something I hadn't felt in many, _many_ years...comfort.

I relaxed into the blindness, my tense shoulders resting. I could no longer feel anything else, the floor under my feet disappeared and there was a still silence surrounding me. I felt a certain oneness, inner peace, a connection to myself I had lost when my blood became tainted with the darkest substance on our planet. Now, I felt a type of balance, something nearly outweighing the Dark eco...but not quite. It was more..._equal_ with the Dark eco. I felt as if I had left the world, gone to a faraway place...and I _never_ wanted to leave.

But all of it was gone in an instant as I regained my sight and heard Daxter say, "Okay, now your scaring me!"

I rubbed my eyes, realizing I was on my knees. I rose to my feet, feeling so different, much more alive, like I had been asleep for years and had finally woken up.

Daxter stared at me incredulously and Nica's mouth was still agape. I rolled my neck and stretched my limbs. "Dax," I said, my voice hoarse, "The Dark eco...it feels...far away." I looked at my hands and they seemed to glow with remnants of the light that consumed me, "I feel...better!"

"This is...a lot." Nica said from behind me, and I turned to her. Her eyes flashed between the oracle and I. "Can someone explain to me what's been going on?"

Daxter scampered over to her, climbed up her leg and onto her shoulder. "Let's get walking and get outta here. Baby, we've got _a lot_ of catching up to do."

**JDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJ**

_Darla_.

I was on my side, laying in a bed in the infirmary. I stared out the window at the night sky, hearing the distant sounds of gunfire and explosions. I was in no danger today- the sounds were closer to the Industrial Zone, which had been closed off and evacuated. The faint beeping of the heart monitor behind me lulled me into a meditative state, where my thoughts wandered in strange directions, practically flying out the window into the night I was staring at.

_Time. Time is an incredible thing_. That's all I could think about while I laid there. How fast it went. Or slow. How many things happened over the years, months, weeks, days, hours, minutes...even seconds. How much _doesn't_ happen. How quickly life came and went. How slowly. Nearly three quick months since Jak was gone. _Already_ three months. But, oh, how _unhurriedly_ they passed.

Three months with two heartbeats, my own and the baby's. Two people in one. _How amazing_...My mind was silent, my demon quiet. _How many days has it been...how long have I been in here_? _Seconds, minutes, hours, days, weeks, months, years_-

There was a tapping coming from the door to the room, and my faraway mind gently came back from the night sky and into the dimly lit hospital room. I turned onto my back and sat up carefully.

"Come in," I practically whispered. The door opened and the healer stepped inside.

"How are we today, Ms. Acheron?" He asked, checking my charts at the foot of the bed, "Any faint feelings?"

I shook my head, "Just hungry. Starving, in fact."

The healer smiled. He was young and reminded me of Cain. _I miss work_. "We can get your friends outside to bring you food once I make sure you're still stable. If you're all clear, you may be able to go home today."

I'd been stuck in the infirmary for three days, and the idea of leaving thrilled me. "I'm holding you to that."

He chuckled, turning the pages of my charts. "The results of your tests are here..." He trailed off, his eyes quickly scanning them. His smile turned to a frown that gave me an aching feeling in my body. He reached for a chair in the corner of the room, dragged it over and sat beside me.

"Ms. Acheron-"

"Darla. Please," I said quietly.

He cleared his throat, "I'm sure you're aware of the...situation."

"That my baby has Dark eco in its genes." I answered.

"Yes. The other day, you fainted while your baby was extremely active..."

"Get to the point, Doc, is there something wrong with the baby?" I needed answers now.

"The baby's...Dark genes were prominent that afternoon, for the first time. It's darker form came forward." The healer scooted closer, "Ms. Acheron,- Sorry, Darla,- this was a lot for a woman's body to handle. The Dark eco in your genes _and_ the baby's...it was too much. For you."

_For...me?_ "What are you saying, Doc..."

He placed his hand on my arm. "The baby is _hurting_ you, Darla."

I swallowed hard, "How badly? I don't feel pain. I was just dizzy."

"It's gradual. You may be able to endure it when your baby has Dark eco bouts," He nodded, deep in thought, "But if you aren't careful, if you don't monitor it or watch yourself...this could prove fatal. To both of you."

I pulled my arm away from the healer. "I feel fine. My baby is _fine_."

"You need to be more than just 'fine', Darla." He rose to his feet, "I'm going to prescribe you a yellow eco-infused pill." He took out a notepad and scribbled, "Take it twice a day for a week and that should regulate the amount of times the baby is active in it's...darker state." He cringed, clearly feeling uncomfortable stating it that way. "You'll be able to see a difference and have an estimated time stamp of when it is most active. Until then, you need to rest and have someone by your side at all times."

He handed me the slip of paper. I stared at it. "And if I follow this, the baby will be okay?"

He nodded, "You both will be. At first it will be difficult while the pills are at work, but after a week everything should feel normal." I murmured a thank you and he smiled, "Come see me whenever you feel discomfort or if the pills cause any abdominal pain. Ask for Healer Kenzo. That's me, obviously." He chuckled again, this time at his own joke. He headed for the door, then paused. "Oh, I will send for your friends and then you may leave." That made me perk up a little. He left without another word.

I sighed and got out of bed. I headed over to the closet where Keira had left me some clean clothes for when I'd be able to leave, and pulled out a pair of gray joggers, a black tank and black hoodie, and my favorite combat boots. The color scheme suited my mood. Grumpy. And my boobs hurt. I hurriedly got dressed and went over to the window. I stared outside for a bit, feeling a flutter in my bump. I wiggled, trying to make it stop. It wouldn't.

"What are you _doing_?" I said aloud, rubbing my stomach. The fluttering paused for a moment. Then I felt a lurch in the bottom of my abdomen. _A kick? A punch?_ "You just...do whatever you want, don't you." The fluttering picked up again, and I felt I was already getting used to the baby's movements. I couldn't help but smile. "You're going to be trouble." I rubbed my stomach more, "But that's fine. I'm going to love you. I already love you. Forever." I looked out the window then, at the starry sky, and the image of Jak's face crossed my mine. His long, blonde hair, cerulean blue eyes and that smile...my eyes watered. The baby kicked again, this time gently, as if to tell me to knock it off and get ahold of myself.

I laughed and a single tear rolled down my cheek, "You'll know him some day. I don't know when...how soon or how far that is. But you _will _know him some day. Whether you meet him...or I need to tell you about him." My voice cracked at the end of my sentence and I exhaled a whine-like sound that I didn't recognize as my own voice at first. I rubbed my eyes, and wiped my tears.

"I won't let anyone hurt you like they hurt him. You will never have to be alone." I held my little precious bump, suddenly terrified that one day I'd have to let my baby out into the world, out of the protection of my own skin. "You'll know him...I won't let what happened to Jak happen to you. You'll know your father...I promise." I leaned my forehead against the cool glass, seeing flashing lights in the distance. Bad things were happening in the Industrial section. I turned away from the window, hating the world we were living in. Would it ever be normal, like the way it was in Sandover? Would there _ever_ be an end to this battle?

I felt like I couldn't breathe. The heart monitor beeped faster and it was giving me anxiety. I tore the patches off of my chest underneath the clothes and tossed them to the floor. All I could hear was the piercing sound of the flat line and my heart thudding heavily in my head. The baby kicked again.

"I love you. So, so much." I breathed. "I'm so sorry." I sat down on the bed and waited until Keira and Maichael came for me, looks of confusion and concern on their faces. I stood silently, smiled reassuringly at them and left the room, my friends following behind me.

**JDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJ**

_Jak_.

I was sweating, panting, shooting as fast as I could. This was my final arena battle, the one that would determine my citizenship into Spargus.

In this moment, suddenly all of it seemed important- The Wastelanders retrieving us out in the desert months ago, finding Nica, proving myself, Damas's advice...it was all leading to this...earning my right to be apart of something big and become a Wastelander. I remember when I wanted nothing to do with any of it.

But now I _wanted_ it.

Darla's voice rang through my head as it always did during important times of my life, and rather than making me feel pain, it made me feel stronger.

**_Never forget who you are_**...As she had said the day we left Sandover Village forever.

For once in my life, I felt that I'd finally _found_ myself.

Daxter was shouting in my ear to duck in cover, and I rolled behind a platform. I was determined to succeed, to show Damas the warrior I really am. Daxter grinned at me mischievously, his excitement outweighing his fear. He knew we'd kick ass, as we always did.

I slowly crept around the platform so I could sneak up to one of my opponents and held my Blaster gun steady as I prepared to shoot.

I leapt out from behind the platform to pounce.

And I came face to face with someone I never, not in a _million_ years, thought I'd _ever_ see again.

"_SIG?!_"

**JDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJ**

_Darla_.

The walk back to the apartment was silent. When we got to my place, I went over to the couch and laid down on my side, clutching a pillow. I heard Maichael and Keira rummaging through the kitchen trying to find something for all of us to eat, their muttering not so quiet.

"...You think she wants to talk about it?" I heard Maichael ask Keira, who only grunted in response.

"Let her eat, see how she feels. I'll go pick up her meds and you stay and help her." Keira responded. I heard dishes clanking and shuffling of their feet, and I sat up. I didn't want to be rude and felt guilty for not letting them know I was okay. Not good, but okay.

"What're you guys making?" I asked, my voice raspy. They both turned toward me, eyes wide in surprise.

Keira smiled. "Sandwiches. Is that good?"

"Totally. I'm famished. I might eat this couch."

The two of them laughed respectfully, relief on both of their faces. They bustled around the kitchen, preparing dinner, then came over to sit with me and eat. I scarfed down the sandwich, thanking the Precursors I had such wonderful people in my life.

After we ate, Keira cleaned up and announced that she was going to pick up my new prescription. She kissed Maichael goodbye and gave me a swift peck on the cheek before leaving.

"So what's the diagnosis, D?" Maichael said cheerfully to lighten the mood. "What's the pills for? Hopefully your raging hormones, jeez..." He pat my knee and grinned.

I smiled at him, "Sorry I was so quiet. I get sad sometimes."

He nodded, "I understand. I know you- you talk when you're ready, not a the moment the problems are happening." He pat my knee again, "That's why I, like, basically never worry about you."

I rolled my eyes so far back I thought they'd get stuck. "Thanks, Maichael." I couldn't help but giggle. _Asshole_.

He snickered. "In all seriousness though...are you good? Is the baby okay?"

I nodded, "We should be fine. The Dark eco is starting to cause the baby to...react. And it could hurt me if I can't control it. Which is what the pills are for."

"Well...good." He leaned back on the couch and put his feet up on the coffee table. "So what were you so upset about then? When we came to get you, I mean. Was it Jak?"

Hearing that name pained me in the way it did back when I had spent over two years apart from him...a time where I couldn't even speak his name. I leaned back next to my best friend and rested my hands on my little bump. "Partially. But I feel a lot of guilt...about the baby."

"What do you mean?"

"Bringing it into a world _so full_ of...pain and suffering." I frowned, "I know this is how it was supposed to be, as much as I tried to avoid the poor timing, my visions told me it would be so. I was ready...or at least I _thought_ I was."

"Of course you're ready, D," Maichael looked at me with his wide, innocent brown eyes. I started to protest but he stopped me, "You watch over and care for thousands of warriors every day, including your friends, as well as _complete strangers_. You always take immediate action when there is a problem, and you're the _first_ to step in between danger and the people you love. You're going to be the best mom in the whole _world_."

His words brought tears to my eyes and I rested my head on his shoulder. "You've always taken care of me. I can never repay you for all you do, and have done, for me."

He put his arm around me and pet my hair, "Don't get sappy on me now, D. That's just the baby talking."

I laughed and sniffled. He was my best friend. "I'm scared."

"I'm always scared." Maichael said quietly, "But we can't live like that. We can't live in fear- that's when life passes us by." He was so right. Life would pass us all by if we didn't stay strong.

Seconds, minutes, hours, days, weeks, months, years.

**JDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJ**

**A/N:**

There you have it! Chapter 4. Some references to MTLH part one above. With the semester ending and holidays approaching, I will try and update more often and soon!

As always, Read and Review!

**RyJones**


	6. Familiar Faces

**A/N:**

It's been a couple of months since my last update, and I apologize for the delay! Senior year of college is coming to a close and I am trying to get all work out of the way so I can relax and enjoy writing my fanfic for all of you.

I have poured my heart, soul, and imagination into this story since the very beginning with every intent to complete it. I had the ending before I even had the beginning, and I cannot wait to be able to share it with you after years in the making.

Enjoy Chapter 5!

**JDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJ**

_Jak_.

"_Sig?!_" I exclaimed.

Daxter and I stared, jaws on the floor, at our comrade who we never thought we'd see in Spargus City of all places.

"Jak? Daxter?" His green eye stared incredulously and his head turned back and forth between our faces.

"SIG!" Daxter half questioned, half shouted.

Sig blinked in surprise, but held his gun firmly, "Well, don't you two look sorrier than ever!"

His stance filled me with unease. "What are you doing here?" I asked cautiously.

Sig grimaced, "Honing my skills. Let's finish this." Suddenly I was staring into the barrel of his Peacemaker and I took a step back.

"Whoa, come on Sig," My heart started fluttering rapidly in my chest, "I'm not going to fight you!"

Sig gritted his teeth together and glanced over my shoulder at Damas, "If we don't, he'll kill us _both_. It's the rule of the arena." He aimed his gun directly at my face. "Sorry...nothing personal."

"Uh oh..." Daxter whispered and I started to bounce on my feet, ready to dodge any bullet he shot, though with the Peacemaker it could be difficult.

_I'm not going to let Sig be our downfall._

Then, Sig tossed his weapon to the ground. I let out a sharp breath, relieved.

"Blasphemy!" Damas rose to his feet, his eyes darting between the two of us, "One _must_ destroy the other. Complete the test or face worse pain!"

"I just know I'm gonna regret this," Sig muttered to himself, loud enough so I could hear. Damas _clearly_ didn't like when things weren't going his way.

"Seize them!" He shouted and we were suddenly flanked by guards, pushing and shoving us toward the exit of the arena. One of them, a big burly fucker, stepped on my heel and I stumbled forward almost losing Daxter in the lava that surrounded us.

Damas was shouting inaudibly as he followed us out and we headed toward his palace. People stared at us weirdly; it was obvious that no one here had refused to fight another person before, let alone had to fight against someone they knew.

Once we were inside Damas's throne room, Sig, Daxter and I stood before him and we were then scolded like three children. "How dare you two defile the purity of the arena!" Damas practically growled.

He walked toward Sig, making sure he was a step higher than the Wastelander so he stood tall, "Sig, your time in Haven City has _poisoned_ you! And you, newcomer!" He turned to me, fire in his violet eyes, "You deserve no mercy. I should toss you both into the jaws of the desert!" He turned away and I rolled my eyes, "However, Sig, your years of service as our spy in Haven have earned you a chance to redeem yourself...But only this once."

I swallowed, "A spy?"

Sig elbowed me abruptly in the ribs and hissed, "Just shut up. I'll tell you later."

**JDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJ**

_Darla_.

I fiddled with the ring Jak had given me, the silver symbol-covered band twisted and braided like intertwining vines and the diamond reflecting every light that hit it. I smiled; it was impressive and I was extremely lucky. I wondered how Jak made it, or who made it for him. For a moment, I felt happiness.

But only for a moment.

It was actually the first time I was wearing it since he had been gone...seeing it made me ache inside. But I really needed to just...feel Jak with me. Three more months had passed since I had started the medication, and because of the meds, my now much larger bump was a lot less active and I didn't like it. And I had begun to feel more alone and more useless than before. Being someone who is independent and always trying to help in some way, it was really difficult not to get snippy. All I wanted was to help with the war effort, to be out there fighting for the city, saving lives like I used to.

All I wanted was to have everyone stop looking at me with apologetic looks and _sheer pity_ in their eyes.

Everyone was acting strange around me today. Keira was avoiding all my questions about the Freedom Fighters stationed by Haven Forest, Ashelin left the city in a cruiser without telling anyone where she was going, and Samos was remarkably silent for someone who was always on edge. I was at HQ monitoring all the troops I was assigned, since it was the only thing I was "allowed" to do. I hadn't heard from my darker thoughts lately. My shoulder scar burned daily for reasons I was unsure of. The baby was eerily quiet too, even after I ate; not a kick, no dizziness, no weird cravings. It's like it knew something was wrong outside.

Tess came into the room while I stared at all the screens, watching the war like it was a film. "How're you doing, sweetie?" She plopped down next to me, putting a hand on my shoulder, a gesture that had more recently begun to irritate me. But I smiled widely just as I did every day.

"Good, everything is looking good by the Port right now. Everyone is...quiet," I blinked in confusion, but hoped to get something out of her, "How is everything going on your end? You've been working overtime."

"I'm doing all the stuff you would typically be doing as a combat medic, minus the visions, and I've got to say, I couldn't do your job on a regular basis." Tess slumped in the seat and closed her eyes, "It is so _stressful_!"

"We could trade." I smirked.

Tess opened one eye and giggled, "Ha-ha, very funny Darla." She cracked her neck then sat up, "You know Jak wouldn't want you lifting a finger, especially in your state."

_In my state... _I didn't want to talk about Jak. "Where did Ashelin go? Do you have any idea why she took off?"

Tess's eyes shifted a bit, "Well, I don't really know for sure."

"What's that mean?"

"Nothing. I don't know. You know her, she's always running off doing her own things!"

I looked at her squarely, "Okay..." _She knows_.

Tess stood, leaned over and kissed my cheek. "You need to stop worrying right now. It's not good for the baby."

I rolled my eyes, "Me being its _mother_ isn't good for the baby, Tessie."

Tess laughed, "Well _someone_ needs to look out for its well-being! And I don't think anyone is better suited for that job than you."

My face flushed and I nodded at her. She pat my shoulder again, which I appreciated this time, and then exited the room.

I looked back at the monitors, and after a few quiet minutes my demon began humming ever so faintly, a sad tune I recognized but I couldn't name. She hummed along quietly, never getting any louder or softer, putting me in a meditative state.

I suddenly and unexpectedly thought about my siblings, Maia and Gol, and when I used to be Darla Acheron. It had been a long, long time since I thought of them, or of the time when I was Darla Acheron and then I was just Darla. I felt a wave of sadness roll through my chest...though they were dead to me before they had _actually_ died, part of me always missed them, even when dark eco consumed them.

**_How ironic. _**She paused humming only for a moment to say this, then continued her song.

How ironic, indeed...that my brother and sister were tainted and then I was too, as was Jak, and now the baby...Of course, being an eco user was in both mine and Jak's blood prior to dark eco being in our DNA, but if we _hadn't_ been tainted...

I shook the thought from my head and rubbed my dry eyes.

My childhood was lonely and I had a cloudy memory of it, considering the events that occurred when I was a teenager we much more significant. That pelican attacking me on Sentinel Beach turned out to be the best thing that ever, _ever_ happened to me. Jak and the rest had been my very first friends.

I smiled to myself. It seemed so far away now, and though the days prior to our arrival in Haven were short, they were the best of my life.

I felt that familiar poking in the back of my skull, a vision prepping itself. I closed my eyes as slight pain throbbed in my head, and allowed myself to succumb to the vision.

It was a vision of the past and I was viewing it in third person point of view this time. I was spending the afternoon with Keira that fateful day before we entered the Rift Gate, my young mind filled with thousands of secrets that my first few visions had revealed to me. I remember that I had seen _so much,_ that I felt I had aged a hundred years that day, when I saw so much of Jak's future and so much of my future. I looked at my image-self sitting next to Keira, and noticed how much younger I looked.

The image before me turned fuzzy and switched to Jak holding me in the ocean, smiling so broadly, so innocently...he had just told me he loved me. Outside my mind I felt my present self laugh because, well, at the time, I'd "felt" him trying to tell me and responded that I loved him too. Imagine, if he actually _hadn't_ been in love with me and I read it all wrong...I laughed out loud again.

I couldn't stop staring at the image of Jak and I floating in the water. He just looked so..._pure_. Pure happiness was in his eyes. And I remember that during that moment of bliss, I knew it was going to be his last day as Jak from Sandover Village. Jak, who loved his home and his friends and his great (times a thousand) uncle who raised him, and how much Jak loved his and Daxter's crazy adventures. It was the last day Jak was allowed to be a child...carefree.

The image blurred again, this time changing to the day I turned up in Sandover Village and was brought to Samos's hut...

_Keira was looking at me but I avoided her gaze. I approached the monstrous Venus flytrap against the wall and she asked, "What are you going to do now?"_

_I touched the plant, stroking its stem and it shivered against my fingers. "I'm not sure. I mean, I have always wanted to travel, so maybe I will fix my boat up and just...go." __The Venus flytrap curled towards me, wanting more affection and I continued to pet it. _

_I sighed, staring at the plant. "I feel like there is more to life than just being in one place. I feel like I am meant to do things...meant to do more in this world."_

My eyes snapped open and I was abruptly wrenched from the vision. I thought about what I had said that day, about how I felt I was meant to do more in this world. Damn...Even before I had visions, it was like I always knew I was born to _be_ something. Once Maichael saved me and I started building my new life in Haven, I became a combat medic so I could save lives...I joined the resistance and a good cause, and gained friendships and comradery I had never imagined.

This life I was currently living may not have been exactly what I had in mind...but, truly, it was fulfilling, and it _was_ what I had asked for.

The baby stirred. I looked down at my stomach, feeling it shift around, waking from some kind of dormant state. My face broke into a grin and I felt my eyes fog up with happy tears.

The baby was reminding me of all the things I was meant to do.

**JDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJ**

_Jak_.

Nica roared with laughter, nearly spilling her beer, and Daxter made an annoyed grunting sound. I grinned from ear to ear and continued my story.

"Wait, it gets better." Daxter made a move to cover my mouth but I put my hand up to stop him, "That's when the bird lady was like 'look, how cute, it thinks you're it's momma', and the flut-flut started following him around!"

"Hey! I treated that thing like it was my own child," Daxter puffed out his furry chest, "I screamed at it, we rode it around a swamp..."

"Like your own child? HA." Nica said, wiping a tear from her eye, "I _hope_ you wouldn't treat your own child like that!"

I finished the rest of my beer, smiling against the glass. My cheeks hurt. "Dax and I had a lot of fun and got into _a lot_ of trouble as kids."

"We still do, brother!" Dax slapped my arm a little too hard, "We're the Dynamic Duo, the Terrible Two, the Troublemaking Twins, the-"

"Alright I get it, for fuck's sake Daxter," Nica intervened and I snorted with laughter while Daxter rolled his eyes at her. I looked between the two of them and how everything felt really good at that moment.

Not just at that moment...for the past six months I had felt like my life in Spargus was _beyond_ rewarding. I felt like Dax and I were genuinely happy, that I hadn't been this happy since it was him and I against the world in Sandover Village. Living in Spargus numbed the pain of all I had been through the past few years. I lost track of how many years it had been, but the bad memories were fading every day that I spent working for Damas and earning my place in the world. It never felt like work and I felt like I belonged here.

Maybe it was because no one was trying to hurt us, and everyone here worked together to make Spargus a safe, unified place. No one ever looked sad, and Dax, Nica and I had a lot of fun together on the off days. And Damas was a leader, a _real_ leader...nothing like Praxis. Damas was motivational and inspired his people. He was someone I personally looked up to. He allowed me to use and keep armor worn by Mar himself; it fit me perfectly and I was honored to be wearing something from a historical lineage.

This felt like home to me.

Nica and Daxter were sputtering and laughing about something I was unsure of as my communicator beeped in my pocket. I whipped it out and turned the knob. "Jak here."

_"Hello, cherry, it's your favorite one-eyed nest exterminator calling!"_ Sig's voice rang cheerfully over the speaker. _"Damas needs you boys and I to go out and destroy a metal-pede nest. Those nasty fuckers have been harassing the artifact carriers for a while now."_

"Yeah, no problem," I responded, "See you at the garage in ten." I hung up and hopped off the barstool. "Sorry Neek, we have to head out for a bit."

Daxter pouted, "It's always work and no play!"

"Killing metalheads every day sounds a lot like 'play' to me," Nica said, leaning her chin on her palm, "It's fine, I have a client in a couple hours anyway, I'll catch you both later."

Daxter groaned, climbed onto my shoulder and we said goodbye, heading down the steps from the outdoors bar (recently our new favorite place to go). Daxter started moaning about how much sleep he hadn't been getting but it didn't bring me down.

"Your laziness only inspires me to do more, Dax." I stated and he bopped me on the head with his fist.

When we reached the garage, Sig was polishing up the Gila Stomper for today's job. He wiped his hands on a rag and flashed his pearly whites. "You boys ready to ride?"

"As always." I said, _so_ ready to get in the car and drive. I begun tying my red bandana around my face so that it covered my nose and mouth as I slid into the driver seat. Daxter hopped into the vehicle, pulling his goggles over his cap and onto his eyes and I pulled my own down over my eyes as well. Sig adjusted the side turrets before getting into the passenger seat and saying, "Let's roll out!"

The city wall begun to rise and I revved the engine, just for kicks, and Dax muttered "oh boy" as I floored the gas and sent us racing into the desert.

**JDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJ**

I pressed on the brake, coughing ad sputtering into my bandana. "What the fuck was that?!"

Sig whistled, staring at the cavern we had just blown up. "Poisonous gas, my friend. Those metal-pedes spit some while we were heading out." He cleared his throat obnoxiously, "I'm going to kill Damas for sending us in there. Drop me off at the garage."

After chugging some water, I sped back to drop Sig off. I wasn't done driving though, and despite Daxter's protests I made him get into my favorite car, the Desert Screamer, so we could have a ride.

Back out in the desert, it was quiet and I drove around aimlessly. Still wary of marauders, I allowed myself to lean back in the seat rather than tense and alert as I usually sit.

"Should I get my ear pierced?" Daxter asked me.

"Why the fuck would _you_ ever do that?" I glanced down at him, one eye-brow raised, "You _hate_ needles. And you say guys with earrings are douchebags."

"I don't know! I want to have a cool thing, you know?" He rubbed his chin, "Like how you have Mar's armor."

I laughed, "I see what you mean. Not sure a piercing is the way to go."

Daxter shrugged and rolled his shoulders. "Are you hot? I'm hot. Let's go down to the oasis for a bit."

I agreed and headed in the direction of one of the only parts of the desert that has water and nice palm trees, besides the ocean. Around a mountain, the ground dips in a way that when it rains, this pool of water fills up, and when there's no one out chasing us, it's a very nice spot to hangout.

But as we pulled around the corner, a familiar electric blue Hellcat cruiser was parked right in the sand.

And Ashelin was standing beside it, hands on her hips, dreadlocks matted to her forehead with sweat from the desert heat.

I parked the car and got out, Daxter and I frowning at each other. To be honest, she was the _last_ person I wanted to see. But Daxter pranced up to her with sass in his step and said, "Hey baby, you thought you dumped me, huh?"

She rolled her bright emerald eyes and made a face, and he continued, "I knew you'd be back for more orange lovin'. Get a good look, it's the last time you get to see it."

I wished. I crossed my arms. "Ashelin, what are you _doing_ here?"

"Jak," Ashelin's face softened and she reached out to me, "It's good to see you-"

"LISTEN, toots!" Daxter protectively stood between us, not fucking around, "You left us in the desert! So talk to the tail, 'cause the whiskers ain't listening." He looked up at me, "We out, Jak."

As much as I was ready to peace out on Ashelin, she did help us the day we were dropped off here. "That beacon you gave me...thanks."

"I knew Damas would find you." She said, looking down at the sand, "He doesn't miss much in this desert."

"How do you know him?" I asked skeptically. Ashelin always had something to hide.

She turned away slightly, and sounded solemn. "It doesn't matter now." She rose her eyes to meet mine. "Jak, I need you to come back to the city. We're losing the fight."

I glared at her and shook my head. "Bullshit-"

"-Veger is drunk on power and he's taken command-"

"-It's not my fault _you_ couldn't run the city-!"

"-He doesn't understand what he's up against, I need you to-"

The sound of engines revving cut our argument short, and we turned just in time to see marauders hop over the dunes in their vehicles. "Look out!" I shouted, but they had surrounded us.

Daxter shouted as one lunged for him, and in one swoop I grabbed him and rolled out of the way. Ashelin whipped out two pistols, one for each hand and began shooting at oncoming thugs. I put Dax down in the Desert Screamer, then sprinted at the group of thieves, channeling my dark eco, and effortlessly transformed into my inner demon. The change was much less painful than it used to be and much more swift and smooth, making it easier to instantly attack. I felt that the voice in my head, the one that had always been lurking in the deepest corners of my mind, had finally become one with the rest of me.

I was swift with my abilities and threw eco-filled bombs left and right, occasionally blowing up their cars and sending them flying off into the desert. The air tasted dry and I was getting all the more frustrated with the argument with Ashelin...not to mention these dumbasses wasting my time when I could've been just hanging out with Daxter. Blood stained the desert sand, ruining the nature around us, tainting the ground. In my darker state, I lived for spilt blood, but I knew that once I returned to my normal self, I would be pissed that we desecrated the _only nice spot_ in the entire desert.

It didn't take long before Ashelin and I took down enough marauders that the rest were scared off. I slid out of my violet-tinted, angry skin back into my own body, feeling goosebumps rise on my arms from the chill.

Ashelin had already holstered her weapons and headed over to the cruiser. I went over to her, Daxter right behind me. She bent over, reaching into the Hellcat and pulled out a device I recognized all too well.

"Keira wanted me to give you this," She said, handing me one of my favorite things Keira ever invented for me- my jet board. I took it from her and hooked in onto my pack.

We stood there awkwardly until she found her words, "Jak...your friends need you. Your girl needs you. And..._I_ need you."

I snarled, bolts flicking out from my skin. "The city threw me out, remember? They can _rot_ for all I care."

Ashelin was taken aback, "But what about Darla-"

I squeezed my eyes shut and shook my head, "Forget it!" I didn't need to hear _any_ of this. I was finally happy here, finally I belonged somewhere, somewhere I could be myself without the Precursors shitting on me. "Just leave! I have new 'friends' now." My nostrils flared and I turned away from her, feeling hurt rise in my throat. Daxter looked up at me and I avoided his eyes.

"So the hero I knew _did_ die in the desert...or was it long before _that_?" Ashelin pulled my shoulder so I'd face her. "Don't you remember who you are?" She placed a small object into my hand. I pulled away from her and looked at what I recognized as the clay seal, the medallion my toddler-age self had given to me...the symbol of the House of Mar. This symbol represented my being a descendent of the greatest warrior the world had ever seen, represented that I was born for greatness. I wore it with pride, but it seems I had left it behind when I was exiled from Haven City.

My heart was aching. But I needed to keep moving forward. I couldn't keep doing this shit... "I'm through saving the world."

Daxter gasped quietly but recovered himself and bore a look of pride. It made me feel more confident in my decision. Ashelin did not respond, and silently got into her Hellcat, taking off into the pink afternoon sky.

Daxter and I stood in silence. After a moment, he slowly climbed up my pants and onto my shoulder. "Jak, buddy..."

"What."

"Are you...ah...sure about your decision?"

Great. Confidence gone. "No. I don't know what I want." I sighed and walked to the car. "We're happy here."

"Yeah, but we're here without our family. You are here and Darla is there. Doesn't that bother you?"

In my mind, I was blocking out the memory of Darla so that I could move on in peace. I allowed my frustration, the anger my demon's voice made me feel, to make me forget things I know deep down I never could. I looked at the medallion in my hand, exhaling deeply. "I want her here more than anything in this fucking world." The hurt rose in my throat again, an uncomfortable lump that I couldn't swallow away.

"Damnit!" I kicked the Desert Screamer and Dax scrambled into it. We stared at each other, unsure of what to say or do. Finally I got into the car with him. "What do _you_ want, Dax?"

"I want a lot of things, Jak. I like it here." He paused, leaning his head against the seat. "But I miss them so much. I miss Tess and how she's always pressing me into her cleavage." he smiled. "Here is great...but home is wherever _they_ are."

I knew in my heart his words were true. How could I just forget my loved ones? Samos, Keira...and how, by the Precursors, _how_ could I _ever_ live a life without Darla? She was everything to me, and each time I'd lost her a part of me died. There would be no me, no true joy, no future without her in it. She _was_ my future. I gripped the medallion in my hand, holding a key that could get us into the catacombs and back into the city.

I felt a touch of light eco warming my soul, and it pushed me to speak what we had to do. "We need to go back."

**JDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJ**

**A/N:**

So happy I had some time to update for you all! Thank you for sticking with me through this since the beginning.

I will post soon, I can't wait to write the next chapter already!

**Read and Review!**


	7. The Boys Are Back in Town

**A/N:**

(To one of my frequent reviewers: I appreciate you sticking with the story! Though it seems there may be a lack of reviews, I do receive many more PMs, which hold feedback that I accept widely! Also...I am a _**MISS!**_)

This chapter has been on my mind since before I began writing MTLH part one, and I am so excited to have finally written it. I hope you enjoy this reunion as much as you enjoyed the others!

I present to you, **Chapter 6!**

* * *

**JDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJ**

_Darla_.

Torn was dragging me through the Port, clutching my hand as we ran towards a zoomer. We had to hurry...the metalheads were gaining on us.

"Torn!" I shouted over the snarls of the beasts behind us, "How do we know for sure if Haven Forest is safe?"

"It's our only shot, D! We have no choice..." He pulled me along and we continued sprinting until we reached the beat up vehicle. I wasn't sure if it would be able to take us very far, but Torn was right...it was our only chance.

"Get in!" He shouted and I hopped into the passenger seat. Torn started the zoomer and as we pulled away, a small metalhead hopped onto the back of our vehicle. I immediately whipped my pistol out and popped a bullet into its glistening skull.

The zoomer was weak and could barely hover higher than six feet above the ground. I turned and watched the complete chaos unfolding behind us, shaking my head. "They're pressing their attacks. We're lucky the KG Death Bots are keeping them at bay near the entrance."

"Lucky...humph." Torn grunted and pressed on the gas, "There was no chance of us getting back into the Port with that ambush in the way. The only way back to Main Town- or 'New Haven' as the Freedom Fighters are calling it- is if we can slip by the Slums."

"But the Slums are already taken over, it's not safe." I stared at the night sky, patting my large stomach.

"That's exactly why we are going to Haven Forest," He responded, his raspy voice lowering, "We can wait it out there, or wait for someone to retrieve us when it's safer for us. For you." He glanced over at my baby bump and I felt slightly vulnerable at that moment.

"I'm fine Torn. You know I'm fine."

He rolled his eyes, gripping the steering wheel. "You're _always_ fine. You could be on your deathbed and you would be saying you're 'fine', Darla." His tattooed-nose twitched. "You are my most valuable asset. I can't let anything happen to you. I can't lose you."

"Very touching...Let's be real with each other. I mean more than just an asset to you." I smiled.

He kept his face straight, "You _are_ more than an asset. You are one of my dearest friends. Let's not get mushy. I don't do mushy." A smile played on his thin lips, "Besides, Jak would have _my _assets if anything happened to you."

I was satisfied with his comment. And he was right: Jak would be so angry. Especially because I was still helping with the war effort despite my...current state. I wondered then, what Jak would do if anything happened to me..._ever_. Even post-war, post-baby being born...whenever we reunite, he will be as he was before, never leaving my side. I couldn't imagine what would become of him if anything were to...I shivered uncomfortably at the thought, and the demon in my mind began stirring.

_**I like him when he's angry.**_

_Stop that._

"Ashelin won't tell me what she's been up to," Torn said, "She came back yesterday and stormed into the apartment. She seemed really mad."

His concern for her was sweet. "I'm sure she's just stressed and under a lot of pressure...it can't be easy being Ashelin Praxis." I leaned the back of my head against the seat.

"Yeah." He sighed, "I just want her to come out of this successful. And alive. She's my girl, you know?"

"You two make me feel warm and fuzzy."

"Don't start, I _don't do mushy_."

We finally arrived at the steel door on the wall that separated the city from the natural environment outside Haven's walls. Torn shifted down, parked the zoomer and hurried to help me out. He slid his keycard into the slot by the door and we waited anxiously for it to open. We squeezed through the opening, and as the door closed behind us, the sight before me made my heart ache.

Haven Forest, once vibrant and full of life, with lush, green nature blooming all around, was now brown with death. The weather had been breezy lately, but it was not cold enough for this much damage to have been done. The trees were toasted as if they'd been burned, brown leaves swallowing any of the colors they had left. Much of the water had dried up, despite the heavy rain that had been pouring down on Haven since the new war began. The Dark Makers had been here...I could sense it.

My knees wobbled and Torn gripped me by the elbow, "Darla...?"

"I'm fine," I said. Typically. "I'm just...I can't believe..."

"Come on, D." Torn guided me through the trees and up several platforms until we reached what used to be the Tree of Life. Once so full of it, now withering and dry. But it was a safe place to be, away from the chaos.

We both sat down on a fallen tree. It was quiet here, though we could hear faint sounds of the war far away. I looked at Torn; his face was contorted in a combination of what looked like worry and dismay. And maybe a bit of fear as well. I studied his face, placing my hand on his leg.

"You're doing the best you can, Torn. Really." I whispered. He looked at me sadly and nodded. I scooted closer to him and rested my head on his armored shoulder. "We've been through so many things just as bad, if not worse, and we came out of it okay."

"I just second guess my decisions sometimes. And myself." His cheek pressed against the top of my head, "When I hear citizens saying how much better off we were with Baron Praxis around, I-"

"They're afraid...Brainwashed into believing the Baron's ways were normal and 'for the good of the people'," I interjected, "Just because one battle ends, doesn't mean the war is over. You and I both know this. We _live_ this every day."

I suddenly felt a lurch in my lower abdomen and I sat up. There was another nudge, and then another. I smirked, then grabbed Torn's hand, placing it on my stomach. Another nudge. Torn's blue eyes widened and his face cracked into a tiny smile.

"Torn, we fight a battle every day." I said as the baby continued to move under Torn's touch. "We fight because we want to make our world safe for ourselves and the future." I giggled, for Torn was beaming ridiculously in response to the baby. I pat his hand. "I fight for Haven City. I fight for you and our friends and family. I fight for Daxter and I fight for Jak. But I am also fighting for _this_." I rubbed my settling baby bump.

Torn's had lingered for a moment, then he closed his eyes. "You always have an answer for everything."

"I don't." I put my head on his shoulder again, "I just fight my hardest and hope for the best."

Torn kissed the top of my hair, put his arm over my shoulder, then rested his head on mine.

**JDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJ**

_Jak_.

I glanced at Daxter anxiously and he blinked in confusion. "How does it work?"

We stood before a locked, circular door that was designed like the seal of the House of Mar. I flipped the seal in my hand, and there was no slot, no indication of where I could put it in the door. "I really don't know."

"Maybe we _should've_ brought Nica with us, she's smart with all this Precursor mumbo-jumbo stuff." Daxter rubbed his furry chin, "Maybe...I don't know...toss it _at_ the door?"

I lifted my arm high and suddenly the seal began glowing a brilliant red color. I felt my mouth open in surprise, and Dax and I watched as the doors rotated and slid open.

I smirked, "Now we're talking!"

"That's the ticket!" Daxter exclaimed, and we proceeded into the entrance of the catacombs.

Contrary to the ruins we had previously explored, the catacombs were brightly lit and extremely high tech, which was weird considering how old they must've been. It looked as if they had been built in a more modern time. Thick metal wires hung down from the ceiling and blue glowing lights lined the walls of the enormous room.

"_There_ you are!"

I turned around to see Pecker flapping his way through the door we had previously come through, "I am so _squawking_ happy I found you." I shook my head as he floated onto the floor next to me, wondering how the hell he got here in the first place.

"Look, Jak got his seal back!" Daxter said, "And it opens doors."

Suddenly, a beam of light, appearing out of nowhere, shined down in the center of the room. The faint, glowing image of a Precursor floated before us, its apparition looking quite out of place.

"_We meet again, great warrior_," Its booming voice vibrated in my chest, "_But sadly your coming may be too late_..."

"Too _late_?! We just decided to come!" Daxter said sassily, crossing his arms.

The oracle ignored him, "_You show promise, but your bravery will not protect you from the foes you must soon face_." It reached out to me and I was abruptly blinded by a blue-white light. Light eco flowed through me and I felt the floor fall away, "_Use this light power to help you in your quest. It is what little we have left to offer_."

My sight returned, but the edges of my vision had a vignette of blue-white. I rolled my shoulders, and leaned forward with my hands out, and a vibrant blue shimmer spilled from my fingertips. It slid around me and Daxter until it formed a protective bubble around us both. Pecker poked the bubble from the outside and it was solid.

The oracle disappeared and I inhaled as my untainted skin returned. Pecker whistled, "A fancy protective shield...what a gift!"

I smiled, feeling light on my feet. "Being able to channel light eco has really helped with the darker side of things. It's like...I feel a balance between the two. The dark eco is still stronger...but the light helps."

Dax pat my shoulder, "Your demon powers are cool and all Jak...but every time you turned I felt like I was losing my friend." His statement saddened me and he cleared his throat, "_Luckily_, the light eco is training your body to control both your sides!"

I shrugged. I knew my dark side was more prominent than the light- I was only just learning about what it felt like to feel free. And I was very aware of the fact that, whenever I went dark, I was shoving my human mind aside so the dark eco could push through. I do it willingly, and I'm sure it frightened Daxter.

I changed the subject, observing the gaping hole into oblivion on the far side of the wall. "It looks like the catacombs we saw in Haven City." A vehicle sat in front of it, its sleek gold metal matching the tones of the room. "But where do they go...?"

"Onin says we _must_ get back," Pecker said urgently, "She says the catacombs are the key to the planet's very survival!"

I headed for the vehicle, adrenaline starting to pump through my veins. I took out the seal, facing it towards the vehicle and it hummed to life. I grinned at my friends. "You boys up for a little ride?"

**JDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJ**

_Darla_.

I was in multiple places at once...not literally, I wasn't moving or actually going anywhere. But my mind was whirring with visions, flashing between reality and the future, and I couldn't stop yelling in pain. All I could hear was my own voice and a loud ringing in my ears. My body was switching crazily between my demon and my own body. I think I was on my knees, but I wasn't sure, and I was clutching the sides of my head as I screamed bloody murder.

I could feel hands on my shoulders, trying to break me from my spell and get me to move. I wasn't in a safe spot...we were in the very center of the Industrial Zone, in the middle of a wild battle.

Finally someone hooked their arms under my own and dragged me along the cold metallic ground. I couldn't stop moaning: my head was searing with sharp, deathly pain. I usually had a high tolerance for pain but this was _excruciating_. I writhed in the person's grip, my claws catching on their skin, my demon's voice yelling at me to snap out of it. Even _she_ wanted to help.

I felt my back prop up against a wall and the person grabbed my shoulders again. I could hear a voice faintly shouting my name and I shook my head back and forth, trying to come back to reality. Eventually the headache faded and my sight began to return, but my ears were still ringing.

My vision was dark. I tried blinking to see who was in front of me but my sight was too shadowy and tinted with red. I wiped my eyes shakily and it cleared- my hands had drippy blood from where I had wiped my eyes- and revealed a panic-stricken Ashelin, staring at me wide-eyed.

"A-ASHELIN?" I shouted, trying to hear over the ringing sound. Her mouth was moving but I couldn't make out what she said. Something engulfed in flames behind her and she turned, her shoulder's hunching fearfully. Ashes were falling from the sky around us like snow, and I could see dirt and blood caked all over my skin and tattered clothes. "ASHELIN, WHAT'S HAPPENING?"

She helped me to my feet and guided me through an alley to cut through into the Slums. The ringing ceased and all I could hear was mine and Ashelin's panting breaths. "Ashelin...?" I said, my voice finally at a normal octave.

"We blew up," She said quietly, "They bombed our Hellcat. We have to get back..." Her face was pale as she scanned the streets for a zoomer. _She may be in shock_, I thought to myself.

We approached a fairly large zoomer and I stopped her. "Let me drive."

"But-"

"Please, let me drive."

Ashelin obliged and we slid into the seats. I revved the zoomer's engine to get it warmed up, and then we took off. I glanced over at Ash, whose skin was still white as a ghost. "You don't look so good."

She shook her head, "I thought you were dead when I got to you."

"What the fuck happened?!" I swerved past buildings and avoided metalheads bunkering on the roofs, "All I remember is that we were driving to Vin's old place..."

"I'm an idiot for even trying to get into there...for getting us into this mess." She pounded her fist on the dashboard, "FUCK!"

"It was a good idea, we need Vin's hard drive full of information from the Baron's reign...It's crucial to this war," I tried to coax her but I knew it wouldn't work.

"I shouldn't have brought you. I thought you were dead...I thought you were _dead_..." She groaned, "You're having Jak's _baby_ for fuck's sake, Darla!"

"It was dangerous, but we thought we had a clear path. I saw a clear path in my visions, otherwise I wouldn't have even come." I felt exhausted, "It _was_ clear, I remember."

"It was," Ash rubbed her dirt-smeared tattooed face, "There was a surprise attack. It seems the KGB had stirred up trouble on the east side of the Industrial Zone and it pushed the metalheads towards where we were going. When they saw us, they bombed us"

My head was aching. "We should go to a healer before anything else. And we shouldn't tell anyone what happened..."

"I completely agree...but what if they ask about you?"

"What do you mean?"

"You have a black eye, a fairly large gash on your temple and you are going to need stitches to replace the _gaping hole_ in the corner of your upper lip."

I winced, running my tongue over the spot and painfully realizing that I was missing a couple millimeters of the upper corner of lip, "Ouch. Maybe...just tell them I was driving recklessly and we crashed. I will take the blame."

"I feel horrible." Ashelin breathed.

My head pulsed. "Me too."

She shook her maroon dreadlocks out, "No, I mean _guilty_. I couldn't protect you."

"It's not your job to protect me, Ashelin. It's _my_ job to protect me."

She was quiet for a moment and I maneuvered around sharp turns into New Haven. She sighed, "I _want_ to protect you and the baby. Jak isn't here to be there for you through all of this."

I smiled at her, feeling quite flattered, though her face was very serious. "I have Maichael and Keira checking on me all the time. And Torn and Tess too. You don't need the extra stress."

"I feel like I am responsible for you. In my own way. Not like the others." She looked at me, her eyes glossing over. "Please, allow me to help too."

"I mean, of course you can," I blinked quickly, surprised by the emotion in her voice. I wasn't sure how she could feel "responsible" for me, but I wasn't going to let her feel guilty when nothing that happens to me is her fault. "You already do so much...and you have an entire city to care for."

"Do you think...I could come stay at the apartment?"

I wasn't expecting that. "Are you and Torn having trouble?"

She shook her head, "No, no, we're fine. This war does make things difficult, but that's not why I asked. I just feel like it would be easy, for me _and_ for you, if I lived with you." We pulled up in front of one of the healing buildings, which looked less crowded than the station at HQ. We sat, neither of us moving to get out.

Ashelin looked at me. "No one stays with you; it must get lonely sometimes. And I need a distraction away from this war, some kind of _hope_ to keep me going. I can also be there for you when no one else is able to. It will motivate me to do better." She smirked, her full red lips turning up beautifully, "Besides, we always know how to have fun together."

I grinned at her. She was right...it did get lonely sometimes, and Ashelin always made me feel like I was important even when I couldn't do much as someone who was currently not in a position to be blown up. She also seemed like she might really need this...a distraction. Someone who can be there for her, too.

I slid out of the zoomer and motioned for her to do the same. "If you want to be roommates, you're going to have to keep up with my waddle-walking speed."

Ashelin looked amused, and graciously smiled. "Yeah, I'll try to keep up, D."

**JDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJ**

_Jak_.

By the time we made it through the catacombs and were above ground again, night had fallen. There was a chill in the air and it was so dark other than the stars and moon. Pecker, Dax and I observed our surroundings cautiously. We appeared to be in a canyon, with tracks and rails climbing along the sides for mobility.

"It looks like some kind of...old eco mine." I figured, scratching my goatee and turning around to check the place out, "When Mar built Haven City, he must have carved out these old caves to get at the eco power."

"Sheesh!" Daxter made a face, gripping my armor with both hands, "That 'Mar' guy must've never slept..."

We walked toward a small cave that seemed suitable for a place to crash until dawn. "Should we set up camp?" I asked Daxter.

He nodded, "We have a tent in your pack. It's not much, so we may have to spoon, Jakie-boy." He waggled his eyebrows and I rolled my eyes.

"I'm going ahead to tell Onin we're back," Pecker stated, flying around us, "Watch your tail feathers, Jak! This is a spooky place."

Daxter crossed his arms as we watched Pecker disappear into the night. "Chicken..." He mumbled.

Once I set up our tent- which was a mere red wire blanket barely bigger than me bent into a tent shape- I lit a fire to keep us warm from the constant breeze drifting into the cave. I climbed into our home for the night and Daxter followed, curling up against my leg.

"Jak, are you nervous?" He asked me quietly.

I laid down, putting my arms behind my head. "About what?"

Dax snuggled closer to me, "I guess, like, about seeing the others. It's been over half a _year_."

I stared up at nothing in particular. "Yes." I responded. I was scared as hell. How would they react? Would they be happy to see us? I was still so infuriated with everyone in Haven, though...so what if _they'd_ be happy? My darker side perked up a little but I mentally hushed him. I just wanted to hold Darla in my arms again, if she'd have me. Which I was sure she would. It might be weird at first, just like before...but this wasn't the first time we'd been apart. And this wouldn't be the first time we'd reunite. I couldn't think about it anymore; I began feeling anxiety rise in my chest.

"I think they'll see how much we have changed, and grown." I said, satisfied with that thought.

"I just hope Tessie hasn't, you know, lost interest in Orange Lightning," Daxter mumbled tiredly. "I'm _most_ nervous about that."

"She could never. You know how much you mean to her, Dax."

Daxter didn't answer and I closed my eyes. The only sounds in the cave were crickets from outside, whose voices travelled within the breeze, and the crackling fire.

**JDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJ**

Waking up at the literal ass-crack of dawn, I pried Daxter off of my face, as I typically do on any regular morning I woke up. I groaned, and rolled onto my stomach in an uncomfortable position on the flat, cold surface of the cave. I really didn't have motivation to get up yet, but the earlier we left, the less likely we'd run into metalheads.

Dax was mumbling in his sleep and I gently shook him, "Come on Dax, we should leave."

"It's...too much..." He muttered, covering his eyes. "I can't breathe in your cleavage, Tessie..."

I rolled my eyes and face-palmed. "Dax, get the fuck up, let's go."

His one eye peeped at me and he smirked, "Alright, alright. Just fucking around!" He stood and stretched, "It's cold as hell in here."

I actually had become accustomed to the cold when only dark eco had pumped through my blood, so it didn't really bother me now. But I scooped Daxter up and tucked him into one of the larger pockets of my shorts so he would be warm.

We exited the cave, the sun momentarily blinding us before a cloud rolled over it. In the shadowy lighting of the mine, I observed our surroundings. A control panel sat a few feet away from us against the cliff of the never-ending pit below us. There were several paths and a rail track that ended at a wall which looked like it was blocking us from getting into Haven City.

"That must be where they closed off the mine post-activity," I said aloud. My eyes scanned the track, and it's starting point held a mine car filled with what looked like explosives. An idea popped into my head then, "If we can figure out how to get that cart started, we can blow up the wall." I pulled Dax out of my pocket, "Dax, do you think you can turn on the cart while I move obstacles off of the track?"

Dax saluted me and scurried over to the control panel, "You've got it, partner!"

While he fiddled with the mechanism, I pulled out my Blaster mod and snapped it onto my gun. There were a few large objects fallen onto the track and I hoped the bullets would be enough to get them out of the way. I started running along the path, following the track and shooting at the debris, sighing with relief as it fell over the edge of the rail. A whirring sound began, and the mine cart lurched forward, slowly making its way around the rail.

I turned to Dax and gave him a thumbs up. He hopped down from the control panels and hurried over to me, watching the mine cart with pride. "I'm surprised this shit still works, considering how old as hell it is!"

I put my hands on my hips, "Mar obviously knew what he was doing, building things to last."

Dax climbed up my shoulder, "Let's head over to the wall. But take cover, I'm not sure how big the blast is going to be and I would like to _not_ die."

Once we were closer to the wall, I ducked in cover behind an empty mine cart and tilted it over so we could hide inside. Daxter quietly counted down the seconds until the bombs would hit.

"5...4...3...2-"

He was off by one second and I hit the ground, wincing at the deafening sound of the blast. Thunder cracked in the sky simultaneously and it began to drizzle outside of our protective mine cart.

"Of course." Daxter said, his eyes glaring at the sky.

I slowly peeked out of our cart and around at the blasted area. The mine had cracked open with ease and revealed a bright light coming from within it. I got to my feet, placed Dax on my shoulder and ran over to the opening.

Inside were old boxes and carts and lights trailed along the cave walls. In the center of the room was a circular platform elevator that could only take us down. I swallowed hard, never liking the idea of being below the surface. It made me feel trapped, and after two years of actually being trapped in a jail, I couldn't help but feel anxious.

"I'm nervous too, buddy." Daxter grunted. "But we need to go...Don't we?"

I hesitated for a brief second, thinking about just going back to Spargus...having the ability to be myself, being allowed to take pride in who I am without being ridiculed, or, you know...receiving banishment for life. But I knew in my heart we were doing the right thing.

I stepped onto the platform lift and pulled the lever to start it. As we descended, my heart pounded in my chest. We were silent the whole ride down.

We came to a halt at the bottom and there was another rail track, this one leading straight into complete darkness. Dax and I glanced at each other nervously, but I closed my eyes, summoning my light abilities, warmth flooding through my arms and legs. Through white-blue lenses, I watched the glowing eco snake around my wrists and flow out the palm of my hands. It felt other-worldly and I fucking _loved_ it.

Creating a protective shield around Daxter and I, I proceeded into the dark tunnel and followed the track, my shield lighting the way for us. I walked on for a several minutes, every once in a while doubting the direction we were going. But there was only one direction we could move in: forward.

Eventually the light eco began weakening me and I felt myself fading back into my human form. I teetered a little bit as I walked and Daxter rubbed my back supportively. Lucky for us there was a large door up ahead, so we didn't have to walk in the dark for much longer.

I felt around for some kind of lever or button, or even a handle, but there was none to be found. Just a flat bronze wall with no way to open it.

"What about your seal?" Daxter whispered, his quietness echoing in the extreme darkness.

I reached over my shoulder into one of the pockets on my pack. I felt around for the seal and gripped it, pulling it out. I paused, rubbing my thumb across its smooth surface, and then held it up in front of me.

Almost instantly, the door- which was bigger than I'd anticipated- rose from the ground, sliding into the rock roof above us, revealing a lit room with a high ceiling.

Dax and I watched wide-eyed at the largeness of the room, but only for a moment before the door was already closing again.

"Hurry Jak!" Daxter said, but I was already running. I leapt into the room and the door exploded into the floor, sealing us inside. I stared at the door in surprise, but then realized all this technology was so old, some of it had to stop working at some point. I turned around and walked up to the edge of the floor, a gaping hole separating us from the other side. Three extremely large carvings of Precursor statues adorned the walls and touched the ceiling, this room being their home for a long time.

"The monks told me you were coming through the Precursor sub-rails...Interesting, aren't they?"

My eyes slowly lifted at the sound of his voice, the voice of a man who's neck _I couldn't wait_ to wrap my hands around. My nostrils flared and my demon started whispering in the corners of my mind. "Veger..." I snarled.

His balding head shone in the light as he walked up to the edge of his side of the room. Behind him stood the door into Haven City and suddenly I yearned to reach it...it was so close, closer than we'd realized...but now it seemed so far.

Veger held his staff close to his side and sneered at us. Our eyes locked and for a moment I felt a brief burning sensation under my skin and thought my demon was going to tear itself out through my flesh. I began to pant and Dax murmured in my ear, "Easy, buddy...easy."

Veger surveyed the room, that nasty smirk plastered on his face. I hated that smirk, the one that made it look like he knew he had already won. "The Precursors used them to build the world countless eons ago. The rail system leads deep into the planet where it is said the ancient ones wait to bestow _unimaginable_ powers upon the worthy." He turned away from us, "I will save the world with that power...just as Mar did!"

The fact that this _fuck_ seriously even compared himself to Mar made me snort sarcastically. "Yeah, you've done a great job so far, letting metalheads destroy the Palace."

"Oh, you couldn't be more mistaken, dear boy." He spun around, glaring, "We're on a time clock, Jak! That light in the sky...do you know what it is? Our nightmare has found us and the end is coming!" Daxter and I glanced at each other and Count Veger continued, "I needed quick access to the catacombs below, so I attacked the Palace myself! It will be our little secret..."

I leaned back, blinking in shock. If I thought he was a bastard before, I knew for sure now that he was far worse than that. He had evil in him...destroying the Palace to gain something he wanted reminded me of the fact that Baron Praxis continued a war just to stay in power. They were one in the same. "Well, you're full of surprises."

Veger frowned, "And _you're_ full of dark eco!" He shouted, "You and your _rat_ are an abomination! But I will rid the planet of this scourge soon enough." His dark eyes were crazed now, "Pure light will rule the universe, and I will be the bright light that shines to every corner of the world and destroys all shadows!"

Daxter leaned forward on my shoulder, "Um, excuse me Count Vulgar-"

"It's _Veger_!" The Count shouted, and I smirked at Daxter.

"Yeah, whatever," He hopped off and onto the stone floor, "Isn't it kind of nice just to curl up in the shade sometimes? Just chillin' it...watching the hot babes prancing around in their skimpy bikinis...you know, how they just _jiggle_." Dax grinned mischievously, "I get that special tingling feeling in my...tail."

"Enough!" Veger's voice boomed. Daxter's distraction wasn't working. "We will start the cleansing of the world with _your_ demise!" He lifted his staff and it began to glow. "Behold! I now command the very power of the ancient ones!" The cave began to rumble and shake and I grabbed Daxter as he was losing his footing. Suddenly, the middle one of the three carvings- or what I had thought was just a carving- shattered through the stone, revealing a bronze, mosquito-faced Precursor robot, much like that of the one Maia and Gol controlled back in Sandover Village.

I stumbled back in surprise, landing hard on the floor, bruising my tailbone. Daxter shouted in surprise and I scrambled to my feet shakily. I glared at Veger, who had already begun heading toward our only means of escape. He turned to look at us one last time...

"And this time...the Precursors will _not_ have mercy on you." The door slammed shut.

"JAK! It's armed!" Daxter tugged my short hair pointing at the large robot that was aiming its hand at us. My eyes widened and I rolled out of the way of a beam of red light that scorched the floor where I previously stood.

I cried out angrily, "It's never easy, it can _never just be easy_!" Daxter whipped my gun out from my pack and hurriedly snapped the Blaster mod into place, aiming it at the robot. He shot several bullets at it as I dodged the statue's laser beams, but they bounced off of its bronze body harmlessly. "FUCK!" I said infuriated through gritted teeth.

Suddenly it shot out balls of light toward us that, when the smoke cleared, revealed several spider-like creatures, electric black skin vibrating as they scurried to attack us.

"Those are splitters, Jak!" Daxter's voice cracked- he was never a fan of anything spidery. The splitters were getting closer and the robot was prepping for another laser blast and everything was happening so fast that I couldn't even think. I looked around frantically, trying to think of a plan. _Come on Jak, you've been in worse situations before_...

I looked up and saw three mine carts filled with explosives much like the one we had used to blast our way into the mine earlier. They were sitting on landings that looked pretty weak to start with. "Dax, can you shoot at those mine carts? I bet we can blow this fucker sky high!"

"You bet!" Daxter backed up against the wall and began shooting wildly at the mine carts. The splitters turned to sprint at him, and I felt my skin lurch as my demon side ripped itself out from within me. I cried out from the slight pain but immediately ran at them, and through red and violet vision I began slashing them open to protect my friend.

To be honest, it wasn't only to protect Dax. I was enjoying it as I always do. I was picturing them as Veger. I tore their limbs off and I was covered in blood, black, oozy blood. They fought back, but of course I was much stronger than many creatures while in this form. Yes, I was aware of my surroundings and of the fact that I had turned in order to protect Daxter as he shot the mine carts down, one by one. But if I wanted to be real with myself, I had to realize that my hatred for Veger was what fueled me. General anger and hatred fueled me, especially when I wanted to turn dark. Despite my new light powers balancing out the dark genetics, I was still a very angry person. Maybe this was a good thing considering it helped me during fights like this. It made me physically stronger, even if it deteriorated me mentally and emotionally. I just needed to come to terms with this so that I could control when I turned dark, one hundred percent.

I killed off the remaining splitters. Daxter shot down the last mine cart with perfect aim and ease, and it exploded on top of the robots head, blasting into a million bronze shards all around us. I leapt at Daxter, covering him protectively, slowly receding back into my human skin. Daxter clutched at my shirt, shaking.

Once the sounds of debris falling ceased, I stood, pulling Daxter to his feet. He handed me my gun and we walked over to the edge of the floor, staring down, making sure that robot wouldn't come back.

We stood there for a moment, then Daxter jumped up and down happily, "Oh yeah! The boys are back in town!"

I grinned, happy with our success. "Come on," I said, running over to a nearby pillar, "Help me push this over so we can make a bridge." We shoved hard until the pillar gave way, crumbling at the bottom and fell over, its top reaching the other side. Dax climbed up onto my shoulder and I ran across reaching the familiar, Haven-style built door. The gears grinded and turned until the door began to crank open.

I grinned at my best friend and high-fived him, "Let's go topside and see what kind of trouble we can get into."

Daxter grinned, "Haven City, here we come!"

**JDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJ**

_Darla_.

Ashelin pat my healing lip with a wet, warm cloth, eyes squinting. "It looks...good."

I rolled my eyes, resting the back of my head on my couch "Yes, this fresh scar replacing that missing chunk of my lip...its sexy as hell."

Ashelin laughed, "No really, it's healing nicely. It looks cool. How does it feel?"

"No pain. You know I heal quick."

"Can't say the same for that black eye though."

I bit my bottom lip, "Yeah, for some reason I bruise real easy."

Ashelin had many scrapes and bumps and I wished I could give her my ability to heal quickly. While it had been only a day since our..."accident"...I had already removed the stitches from my lip and it had healed over, the new scar a pale pink.

I felt a pang in the back of my skull and frowned. Ashelin stared at me quizzically. "Darla, are you alright?"

My eyesight became fuzzy and I reached for her hand, surprised by the sensation I had rarely felt over the half a year that had passed. "I think I'm having a vision-!"

My mind was suddenly transported into a dimly lit room, trickling streams of water surrounding a throne. The man, the warrior I had seen in the vision Onin had shown me months ago, stood pacing back and forth. I felt my stomach flip at the familiarity, and seeing him so clearly, knowing his sheer importance to Jak, only made me want to meet him more.

_Sig was standing before him and spoke, "I haven't seen him since the other day."_

_The warrior appeared anxious, pacing quickly. "He is always running off! Doesn't he know what an asset he is?!" The leader huffed and shook his head, "His arrogance will be his downfall."_

_Sig cleared his throat, "If I may be so bold, sir...he is the strongest person I have ever known. Inside and out. He has been in danger and in trouble, and his life has been threatened more times than I can count." Sig stepped up to the leader, "In the face of death, he runs toward it, not away from it...and not out of arrogance but out of **selflessness**."_

_The leader stopped pacing and faced Sig. "You have a lot of faith in this fool."_

_Sig nodded, puffing his chest out proudly. "He is much more than a warrior, sir. He is a true hero."_

_The leader sighed heavily, a slight show emotion- possibly pride- filled his eyes. "I believe that to be true. I have faith in him as well."_

I came out of the vision in an instant, feeling the baby kicking against my abdomen, and my hand instinctively went to the spot. Ashelin had her hand on my shoulder and she was rubbing it softly. "What did you see?" She asked worriedly.

I rubbed my stomach, "There's a man in the place that Jak has been. I saw Sig talking about Jak...Sig told the man that everything Jak does is out of selflessness." My voice hitched and my heart pounded with such pride in my warrior. My eyes welled happily that people other than I thought so highly of him.

Ashelin was smiling, and then it faded into what looked like shame. I frowned, "Ashelin...?"

She sat back against the couch. "Darla...I need to tell you something. I went to see Jak in the desert."

I felt my stomach turn, but it wasn't the baby this time. I leaned away from Ashelin, brows furred. "What are you saying..."

She groaned, "I didn't want to say anything or tell anyone...I didn't want to give anyone hope if there wasn't any to give," She took my hand. "But the day we left Jak in the desert, I had given him a beacon so that he would be found and taken care of by someone I trusted. When the metalheads and KGB started gaining an advantage, I took a Hellcat out to the desert in hopes of finding Jak and wanted to convince him to come back with me..."

"Did you find him?" I asked quietly, knowing the answer...obviously if she had found him, he would be here.

"Yes."

This was the opposite of what I expected. I yanked my hand away from hers and rose to my feet, "Where...how...why isn't he here?"

"Darla, trust me I tried to convince him to come back-"

"What happened? Where is he?" I practically yelled, not feeling in control of my own body.

"D, please sit down."

My knees wobbled and I sat back down, not because she told me to but because I felt like I was going to fall to the floor, or pass out. Or die.

She took my hand again and this time I let her hold it. "This is why I wanted to stay with you, I really want to help because he isn't here." Her eyes were sincere.

I took a deep breath and exhaled shakily. "Where is he..." I asked one more time.

Ashelin stared at me with such sadness it made me feel sick. She squeezed my hand. "Darla...he didn't _want_ to come back to Haven."

My mouth opened and a weird sound came out that I couldn't really identify. "He...didn't want...?" I couldn't even speak.

She shook her head. "He didn't want to come back. I didn't tell him about the baby, but I asked him why and I also said that you needed him..."

"And what did he say?" I asked, physical pain breaking my heart.

"He said we could rot for all he cared. He said that he had 'new friends now', and that he was through saving the world." She gripped my now shaking hand. "Then he told me to leave...and that's why I wanted to take care of you. I love you and I would anyway...but it was also because I knew he wouldn't be here to."

My mouth was still open, in horror, in shock, in pain. I felt hurt, so hurt, more than ever in my entire life. I was clutching my chest, unable to say a word. I thought I wanted to sob but I couldn't...that maybe I to wanted to cry, to bury my face into a pillow, or Ashelin's shoulder. But I just couldn't.

_**...I knew it! **_My demon roared,** _I knew he would leave us one day. I fucking knew we couldn't trust anyone but each other!_**

I rose to my feet again. Ashelin stood this time, staring at me, her eyes wide. "Darla...I'm sorry..." I avoided her stare and said nothing. "We will do all of this without him. And we will win the war without him."

**_We've lived without him before and we will do it again._**

Ashelin put a hand on my shoulder and my mouth closed. I felt numb...I no longer felt sick, or felt any pain. I no longer had the urge to sob hysterically. "I'm fine, Ash. I'm fine." I pulled away from her and headed over to one of the living room windows. I opened the window, allowing the pouring rain to spritz my warm face. I closed my eyes, knowing where I wanted to be. I wanted to escape. I wanted to kill things.

My body vibrated and hummed, shaking with power. It was time to go.

"Darla, don't go, I don't want you to get hurt..." She practically begged, guilt consuming her voice. I knew she cared, but right now I really didn't give a shit, and I really needed to release my rage.

I climbed onto the windowsill and she asked me not to go one more time, "We can talk about it, give everything time to sink in-"

I turned my head back to her, "I SAID WE'RE FINE." My own voice surprised me, because it overlapped with my demon's, which was slightly deeper than my regular tone. It sounded as if two people had spoken at the same time. Ash's mouth was open in surprise, and it was the last thing I saw before I shred my human skin and leapt into the storm outside.

**JDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJ**

* * *

**A/N:**

Jak's right: it can never just be easy.

Keep up the PMs and reviews, I truly appreciate the support!

Until the next chapter...

**RyJones**


	8. The Renegade Returns

**A/N:**

I was ready to start this chapter as soon as the previous one posted! So excited to be getting back into the swing of things and being able to write more frequently now that my college career is coming to a close.

Chapter 7 is ready for your hungry eyes.

* * *

**JDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJ**

_Jak_.

Despite the rain, it felt amazing being outside again.

It was chilly out and the rain was still drizzling as it did the previous morning when we had entered the mine. In this part of the city, where we emerged from underground, everything was destroyed and the only inhabitants were metalheads scurrying around, scrounging for food. There wasn't a single person in sight, and I couldn't even recognize where we were. We had crashed in an abandoned building for the rest of the evening, and lucky for us the water was still on and we were able to bathe. After a restless night, we woke up early in order to get back as soon as possible.

We had walked for a while now, the sky getting darker and stormier as time passed. Eventually I spotted a glowing, translucent electric barrier off in the distance.

"That must be what's blocking these metalheads from entering the city!" Daxter exclaimed eagerly. I pulled out my jet board then, hopped on and we started gliding towards the barrier.

We avoided metalheads as we sped across the metallic ground. I was too exhausted to bother killing any of them, and it seemed they would have the upper hand now that this was their territory. Daxter rested on my shoulder. "This place looks as bad as my bedroom back home."

As we grew closer, two figures were standing on the other side of the barrier and I was wary of their presence. I got off the jet board, put it back in my pack and we approached slowly. I wiped the rain out of my eyes and a voice sounded from one of the figures.

"Jak! Over here!" The person waved, and I squinted, realizing it was dear old Samos who had called us over. Keira was with him, smiling widely at us. I felt a tad bit of guilt for wanting to forget about them briefly before we had left the desert.

I returned a smile as I reached the barrier, "Samos! Keira!"

Daxter touched the barrier, "Ah, Samos! Still as green as the stuff between my toes..."

Samos didn't even respond to his comment, he was so happy to see us. "See Keira, I knew I could feel Jak's energy! My boy, it's good to see you again." I placed my hand against the barrier and it pushed against my palm. Samos came closer, "Those passageways below the Palace, they must be terribly important...the metalheads and KG robots are advancing towards them and we can't hold out forever."

I frowned for a moment...did they only miss me because I wasn't around to save their asses? "So the city needs me again, huh? What else is new..." I knew I was making a face contorted in both annoyance and disappointment. I didn't like the feeling of being used. Dax looked down at me and nodded slightly, understanding my frustration.

Samos, knowing me all to well, ignored my remark. "Veger has turned on these force fields here..."

"_Veger_ is the one who attacked the Palace!" I interjected, "He said he was looking for something below, something in the catacombs."

"Well, you're just going to have to find whatever it is before he does." Samos said, "But first, you'll need to find another way into this section of the city. Take the sewers into the Port, then find a way north to reach us."

I nodded, ignoring the fact that I needed to take the sewers. Going underground again...

"And Jak..." Samos spoke softly now, glancing up at a saddened Keira, "You really need to get here soon. There is a lot that has happened and-" Keira stopped him by putting a hand on his shoulder. He closed his mouth for a moment, and I wished he would've continued. He sighed and looked at me, "We're sorry for what happened. We should've stopped Veger."

I swallowed my bitterness, clenching my fists, which quivered hard. I looked down at my shaking hands, feeling angry heat warm my face. "I'll stop him _myself_."

"We will meet you on this side." Keira said, "We'll be waiting for you."

I waved them goodbye and Dax and I headed for the sewers.

"It's going to be okay, Jak," My furry friend said, "We'll make it out of this. We always do."

I grumbled, "I just wish they appreciated our work and stopped making it sound like they only needed us to be safe."

"They do, Jak, you know Big Green. He doesn't have emotions. He's fart-y."

I smirked, and we approached the door to an elevator that would take us to the sewers. "Let's just get back. We have a lot of people to catch up with."

**JDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJ**

_Darla_.

I was so fucking frustrated with Torn. We were fighting right now at HQ in New Haven, arguing about why and how one of the troops were ambushed, and why and how five of our fighters were slaughtered by metalheads. Ashelin stood between us, trying to calm us down, but neither of us were having it.

"Torn, you can be _such_ a fucking idiot sometimes, I swear!" I yelled, my face fuming.

His eyes glared at me, watered with anger and his fists were shaking at his sides. "Maybe if you weren't so _knocked-up_ we'd be able to use you, Darla."

"DAMNIT, you're so _thick_!" I shoved his shoulders and he barely budged, "Are you trying to tell me I've done nothing? I'm not just a crystal ball, fucking _damnit_, I do more than just tell you what the fuck is right in front of you!"

"I'm not blind, I know what I get my troops into, I know what I'm doing, I'm Commander for a reason!"

"You're Commander by _choice_, not by _skill_, it's you're fault those fighters- those _kids_\- are dead!"

"You can't blame me for-"

"ENOUGH!" Ashelin shouted, her tone that of a leader, not as a friend. "The two of you need to stop this _immediately_!"

My teeth grinded together and I realized my claws were out. I panted furiously, feeling no shame for the things I said. How dare he tell me _I'm_ useless...that _I'm_ at fault for his rash decisions...for his lack of care for the people he sent into battle.

**_You have every right to be angry._ **

"I need you both to just...calm down!" Ashelin pleaded. She looked at me sadly and I stared at the floor. She knew why I was acting this way. I had no reason to feel remorse for the things I said. Even if deep down I didn't mean them, I still wanted to scream and I wanted to feel angry...it was the only emotion, the only thing I was able to feel. I _liked_ being able to feel this way.

Torn's chin jutted out, and he looked more hurt than angry. I crossed my arms and walked up to the table in the center of the room. I placed my hands on the edges of it, watching my claws as they slowly sunk back into my fingertips.

Ashelin tried to hiss quietly at Torn, but I could still hear her. "You need to stop. You don't know how she feels..."

"She doesn't know how _I_ feel!" Torn protested.

"You're right she doesn't, but after last night..." Her whisper ceased, and her communicator started beeping. She picked it up, "Ashelin here..."

I stared at the maps adorning the table, and the files scattered about thoughtlessly. I pushed them around aimlessly, wondering if maybe I should organize them.

"Is he? Are you _serious_?...Fuck..." I heard Ashelin say. "Keira, I don't know if now is a good time-"

I felt a hand on my shoulder, and I looked to see tattoos covering its knuckles. I glanced up to see Torn looking at me, the mad fire in his eyes extinguished. He pushed my shoulder to turn me, making me face him.

"Darla..."

I looked up at him blankly. "I know, Torn."

"You know you're a bitch sometimes?"

I shook my head. "And you can be a douche bag, yes."

"Yeah." He cracked a tiny smile, which I couldn't return. Not because of our fight, but because of everything inside me. He put his hands on the sides of my face. "As long as you know what you mean to me..." He didn't finish the thought. I knew what he meant.

Ashelin hung up with Keira and walked over to us. She licked her lips awkwardly, wiping a bead of sweat from her forehead. I didn't know why she was sweating when it was so cold. She put a hand on Torn's arm and looked at him hopefully, "Torn, why don't you and Darla just...talk for now?"

He looked at her, confused, "We're fine now, we're-" He paused, seeing the stern look on Ash's face. "Yeah..." He agreed, "We'll...hash some stuff out." She thanked him and headed for the door.

I huffed, knowing she just wanted me to be kept busy. I rested my hands on my baby bump, turning back to the table. "I know it's not easy for any of us, especially when we lose people." I couldn't help but be pissed still at the fact that Torn blamed the situation on me for being "knocked-up".

Torn faced the table as well, standing beside me. "I just...don't understand how it happened."

I shook my head exasperatedly and looked at him, "You sent them out there without..._consulting_ anyone first. Without even asking anyone what they thought."

"I don't want to go in circles with this..." He warned and I rolled my eyes.

"Circles? I had nothing to do with this, it's not my fault I didn't have the vision _you_ wanted."

"Okay now you're just trying to fight me again!"

**JDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJ**

_Jak_.

I was standing outside of Underground Headquarters in New Haven, and just as I began feeling my palms sweat, Ashelin came outside to greet me.

And scold me.

"So you decided our mess was worthy of being cleaned up?" She pouted angrily at me, hands on her hips, her hand twitching toward her gun. It made me feel on edge.

I swallowed hard. "It was all said in the heat of the moment. I changed my mind as soon as you left, Ash."

Dax crossed his arms, "Yeah, we talked it over and decided to help since you can't help _yourselves_."

Ashelin groaned and her arms relaxed. "I wasn't lying when I said we needed you. Not just because of the war...you held us all together."

"Don't get sappy with us, sweet cheeks. We don't have time for that." Dax turned his nose up. Ashelin looked me in the eyes and I didn't say anything. We stood there for a brief moment, and then she looked at the ground, rubbing the back of her head.

"Before you go up there, I want you to know...there's a lot that's happened..."

I made a face, "Why does everyone keep saying that?" It was making me so uncomfortable.

Ashelin frowned, "Because it's _true_." She then guided us inside and we headed for the elevator. "Jak, things have changed_ so much_ since you left. It will take time to...adjust."

I blew off her warnings and looked at Dax. He twisted his hands around each other, something he frequently did when he was nervous.

The elevator shifted upward and Ash continued, "It will take time for _her_ to adjust, too."

I wasn't sure what that meant. But thinking about seeing Darla made my stomach perform several somersaults and my heart pounded with every floor that passed.

Finally, we reached the top floor. The doors slid open and we entered the high-tech room, which I hadn't seen in over half of a year. Daxter jumped off my shoulder and took the first steps, leading the way.

I could see Torn leaning close to her; her back was towards me. My heartbeat quickened and I slowly entered the room, watching Torn whispering close to her face, hands on her shoulders. He stopped whispering when he saw me and he looked at me, first with incredulousness and then with what made me think he wasn't actually surprised at all.

"Jak," His raspy voice sounded, "I never thought I'd see _you_ again..."

I didn't say anything...I just stared at Darla. She hadn't turned around, which made me confused. _Did she not hear Torn?_ Torn then walked forward toward me, stood tall and said skeptically, "You have a lot of catching up to do."

I frowned and pushed past him. Darla was gripping the table in front of her and I approached cautiously, desperate for her to look at me. "...Darla..." I said softly, then cleared my throat, "Darla...it's...it's me."

She stood up straight then, and sighed heavily. I waited...and then she turned to face me.

I almost collapsed onto the floor.

Darla looked tired, beaten down, healing cuts and bruises everywhere...and a large bump was protruding from her stomach.

"Holy _fuck_!" Daxter exclaimed from behind me, his voice high-pitched. "Darla...! You're...you're...!"

I didn't believe what I was seeing. It didn't seem real to me. I was completely bewildered and confused and afraid and I wasn't sure of anything anymore. I walked up to her, prying my eyes from her stomach to look at her beautiful face, which was contorted in anger, something I was not used to seeing. She put a hand on her stomach defensively and she avoided looking at me. I stared down at her face, which I wanted to touch so badly but I had such a strange feeling I had no place to touch it...

"Darla." I said. I had no idea what to say to her. I wanted to know what was going on, wanted her to say the words, even though deep down I knew what this all meant.

_Darla is pregnant._

_Darla is having a baby._

_There is a baby inside her body._

_A growing, living, thriving thing._

_Inside her._

_Inside my Darla. A baby..._

_...And it's **mine**, too._

That's when I broke.

I fell to my knees, my body shaking with shock and surprise and uncertainty. I suddenly flashed back to a dream I had many years ago, back when I lived in Sandover Village, and me and Darla's friendship was fresh and new.

I know I had seen this before, and I knew for sure now that it had been a vision once I reached forward to put my hand on the raised bump beneath her clothing.

"Oh..." I whispered, feeling a sense of wonder and protectiveness. I suddenly felt like I couldn't breathe. Like this wasn't real, especially because I had seen this exact moment in my dreams, never actually understanding what it meant until right now.

I inhaled sharply, and that's when unexpected tears formed in my eyes. From fear...joy...shock...I had no idea. I didn't often _feel_ this much, feel this many emotions all at once. And I never, _ever_ let it show.

Until now.

"I can't believe..." I could barely form words and my voice was cracking. I placed my other hand on her stomach, holding it. "I mean...how could I _miss_ this?" Seeing how far along she was made me realize she had to have been pregnant before I left. We had made this little living being _before I'd left_. And she had been going through all of this without me, without someone to feel happy and to feel this love with. She had to worry about the war _and_ a baby.

I was suddenly overcome with sickening guilt...overcome with guilt that actually _disgusted_ me...guilt over the fact that I almost _didn't come back_. I had almost chosen to abandon her permanently...and abandon this baby. _Our_ baby. Without Daxter questioning my decisions back in the desert, would I have realized the importance of being in Haven City? Would I have remembered how I really can't live without Darla? I would've never known my child...and being someone who never knew their father, this was opening up a whole new flood of emotions that rushed through me.

I couldn't keep it together anymore and the tears spilled over my cheeks. "I'm so sorry...!" I said, knowing all too well it would never be enough. I was so distraught that I didn't even feel embarrassed of crying in front of my comrades. I just couldn't keep this inside...I couldn't _not_ feel this. Not feeling is what always got me into these tough positions. And no wonder Darla wouldn't look at me...I was so ashamed of myself. I knew for sure that she knew what I had said, that I originally wasn't going to come back.

I looked up at her through my drowning eyes, and to no surprise, she still wasn't looking at me. But tears were falling from her own insanely blue eyes, dropping onto her shirt. Her eyes, so full of hurt...so full of pain. My own eyes reflected the same.

I stood, still holding the sides of her belly. I didn't want to let go. She turned her head trying to hide her face and I grabbed her chin, forcing her face to look at me. Her eyes were closed; she clearly refused to show me her thoughts. But she had to know how sorry I was...

"Darla, please just look at me, for _fuck's sake_!" I whispered through my teeth, tasting the salt from my guilt-ridden tears.

She moaned and her eyes, bloodshot and crying, opened and she stared at the ceiling. "I can't, Jak," She groaned. Hearing her say my name made my entire body vibrate and I almost felt too weak to stand. "I can't look at you, I don't want to..."

I didn't have to ask why. I wrapped my arm around her waist and pulled her closer, smearing the tears on her face with my thumb, "Darla, you have to know how sorry I am." I stuttered, trying to make sense through my cries, "You have to know I was always going to come back, _of course_ I was going to come back to you, no amount of anger or inner hatred would prevent me from wanting to be here with you..."

She tugged her face away and pushed against my chest with balled fists, "Jak, I can't, I can't give in to you, let go of me...I can't give in to this..."

"To what?" I asked, sliding my palm to the back of her head. I was practically clutching her, if it weren't for the baby bump pressing against me. "Give in...to what?"

"To _loving_ you, Jak!" She sobbed then, her fists going to her eyes, "I can't just love you and pretend like this didn't _tear my heart out_!"

"I love you so much, please," I begged, my legs shaking and wobbling so hard that I had to sit us on the floor. I pulled her into my lap and held her to me. "I'm not sorry because you're pregnant, I'm sorry because I said some stupid things, without thinking..." She pushed me, trying to get me to let go of her. She was fighting, but I wasn't going to let her go...ever.

"Jak, stop-"

"I just needed time to think about everything before I-"

"Think?!" She stopped fighting then and finally, _finally_ looked me square in the eyes. My heart dropped into my stomach and I felt like I was going to be sick. "You had to _think_ about whether or not to come back to me?" She pushed away and struggled to her feet and I scrambled to mine.

I reached for her and she backed away, "This is black and white, Jak...there is no _gray_ area here!" Her body shook as another sob surfaced, "You either love me and wanted to be here, or you wanted to stay in your new life and forget about your past, your family and friends...and forget about me!" She turned away as I began to protest, "If this was real, you would've known what you wanted, there wouldn't have been any 'thinking' necessary, you would've _known_..." She wrapped her arms around herself, "Jak..." She moaned again, a sound that shattered my heart.

I stood there with my hands reaching for her, but I didn't dare approach. "Darla...I love you forever, I've never doubted that day in my life."

She breathed heavily, trying to stop herself from convulsing. Then she whispered, "This time, it's _my_ turn to think about everything."

My arms dropped to my side and she hurried over to Torn, "Get me out of here, Torn, please."

Torn wrapped his arms around her and glared in my direction, "You want to go to the place I took you before?" He asked her. I felt hard, cold jealousy wash over me as he said it, making me realize how much I really did miss, how many things I actually didn't know. Darla nodded and they stepped into the elevator, the doors sealing shut.

I fell to the floor again. "No, _no_..." I cried, hugging my knees to my chest. "No..." I hid my face in my arms, behind my knees. My body wracked with pain, physical and emotional _pain_. This was worse than anything I had ever felt in all the years I had been alive, in all the years I had felt pain and suffered. This was worse than prison, than dark eco injections, worse than dehydrating in the desert and worse than realizing we were never going to return to Sandover. The world, _my_ world, was crashing down around me.

I thought I was going to die.

I heard Ashelin mutter to Daxter something about convincing Darla of something, and something about talking to Torn. Daxter murmured something back quietly, and then I heard Ashelin leave.

I heard the slow, slight pitter-patter of paws come towards me. I squeezed my eyes shut, begging the Precursors to wake me from this nightmare. I felt a paw on my arm. "Jak," Daxter said quietly.

I moaned again, lifting my head. My eyes were swollen and puffy and I could barely see straight.

Daxter rubbed his hands on my forearm. "Jak, I know how much you love her. I know you didn't mean it when said all that stuff Ashelin in the desert."

I rubbed my forehead. "I'm sorry Daxter, I know this must be awkward for you..."

Daxter made a _psh_ sound and kept his hands on my arm, "Buddy, when it comes to me you _never_ have to apologize. If it were me I'd be a bumbling baby too. Not that you're a bumbling baby." He coughed, "I'm just trying to make light of a dark situation that's all."

I rested my hot cheek on my knees. "Something is wrong with me, Daxter. Why would I have ever considered-"

"You didn't 'consider' anything Jak, you were pissed at Ashelin!" He interrupted, "I was pissed too! And if it had been Darla that came to us that day, you would've never even gave it a second thought. You would've came back."

I sighed shakily. "I know...but Darla doesn't know that." I wiped my eyes.

"She'll come 'round, Jakie. I promise you." Dax smiled and pat my head, "She sure loves you. She wouldn't have been so upset if she didn't love you more than anything in the world."

"I love her so much, she means more than my own life." I had always been sure of this. I fell in love with her years ago and there was no way I would _ever_ fall out. It was the only thing in my life that was real and true.

"And she knows that. She has to." Daxter reassured me. "And here's something else...I'm going to be an uncle!"

I gasped slightly, reminded of this fact. "Oh my _god_, Daxter..." I shook my head, sitting up straight, "I'm going to have a _baby_, Dax...I'm going to be a _father_."

"See? Something else to panic about!" Daxter elbowed me in the thigh, wiggling his eyebrows. "There's going to be a little tyke running around, and Uncle Daxter is going to have to work on his cardio so he can keep up!" Daxter beamed at me.

My mouth cracked into a smile. I was going to be a father..._Me_...I was going to have a child with the girl I loved. It wasn't an accident or a mistake...this baby was made out of love. I would never leave it or disappoint it. I'd be able to be there for this baby, who would have both its parents when Darla and I both really had none.

Daxter tugged my arm, moving to get me to stand up. I slowly got to my feet and he hung from my arm, laughing, "I still can't believe it. I can't even _imagine_ you being a parent, Jak, you just stopped wearing diapers yesterday."

I feigned a frown, "Hey, I just took longer with potty training than other kids, you know that."

He climbed onto my shoulder. "Let's go to Keira's for now. Give Darla a break and she'll be ready to talk things out before you know it."

I inhaled and exhaled deeply. "I hope so."

"I'm proud of you, pal." He said, plopping down onto my shoulder. "You're a good man, you're good to your girl. And you'll be an even better father."

This was my new motivation to really be the hero I always wanted to be.

**JDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJ**

_Darla_.

My body just wouldn't stop shaking. I had stopped crying but I just couldn't stop _shaking_. The baby was moving around inside me; I'm sure it was stirred by all the yelling and stress...maybe it was trying to calm me down.

I was leaning against Torn as we sat on that same bench in Haven Forest. It was my new safe place in all the turmoil around me. Torn kept apologizing for fighting with me before but that fight didn't even bother me anymore...

"I just...I really didn't know he would actually come back," Torn said quietly. "After what Ashelin told me-"

"I'm now wishing she had said nothing at all." I sniffed, rubbing my baby bump.

"It's better to have known the truth. Jak would've felt guilty, even if you hadn't known." Torn stated, "If Ash didn't tell you, Jak would've came back, realized that he almost chose _not_ to come back, and then he would've distanced himself from you out of guilt. And you would've never known why."

I shrugged, "Yeah, that's true."

Torn leaned his arm on the back of the bench. "I know you must feel horrible, D. I am so sorry this all happened, from Veger taking him away from you, to all your struggles and up to this very moment. But you and Jak were made for each other. He gave you a ring. And now you're going to have a _baby_ together. You've created a life for yourselves and that will never go away."

I stared at him, surprised at the sudden faith he had in...well, anything. He looked down at his lap and continued, "I don't speak on behalf of you or Jak. You are both my dear friends. But, you have to know that...in this life we are living in, there's absolutely no time for fighting with the people we love." He twiddled his thumbs, "Take it from me: Ashelin and I fight. A _shit ton_. We're too similar, one always trying to dominate the other. And we don't exactly talk things out like you and Jak usually do."

I frowned, "But she loves you despite-"

"-What keeps our relationship thriving, what gives us hope is seeing you and Jak love each other so much." Torn took my hand in his, "You both have suffered _immensely_, you've gone through hell and back for years, gone through it with _and_ without each other, and _still_ you come out stronger than anyone could ever imagine."

I sighed and closed my eyes. I knew Torn was right. My love for Jak would always outweigh everything else. And I knew he felt the same. And it was true...there was no time to waste on fighting now.

"Jak has always given us hope." Torn got up, pulling me with him. "Always. And when you give him hope, he fights so much harder than anyone I have ever seen. He needs you."

I breathed. "I know, you're right." I just needed time to think, a minute to just breathe. I was calm now, but I wasn't ready to face Jak just yet. "Can you take me home? I think I'm just going to lay down..."

Torn took me by the elbow, "Of course. I've got a lot of work to do and now that Jak is here, I'm going to need his help. I'll keep him busy until you're ready."

Torn and I fought often too. Our personalities frequently clashed...But we always came out of it closer. I was thankful for his friendship.

**JDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJ**

_Jak_.

We were in the Port now, headed for the new Underground base. I was hoping to find someone there to put me to work and distract me from the self-loathing and misery that was eating me up inside. But first, we wanted to make a stop at Daxter's place and grab a drink.

We approached the Naughty Ottsel, Daxter's mechanical clone glowing brighter than a thousand suns. I watched its head bob up and down, shaking my head at its obnoxiousness and we stepped inside.

"Ah, the Naughty Ottsel," Daxter inhaled happily, "Honey, I'm home!"

But the bar, by coincidence, was actually the new Underground base.

Torn stood at the table in the center of the room, looked our way and lifted an eyebrow, "You like the new interior?"

"Torn!" Daxter exclaimed, "What are you _doing_ to my place?!"

A smile played on Torn's lips as we walked up to the table, "We needed a southern HQ for the war. Plus, I kind of like the sign with the ottsel head outside."

Daxter jumped from my shoulder to the table and grinned, "Yeah, it's cool huh?"

Torn leaned toward Dax, "We use it for target practice."

Daxter looked taken aback, "HEY!"

"Listen," Torn moved past him towards me, "I'm sorry we couldn't stop Count Veger." He avoided my eyes, "...We all are."

The sincerity in his voice made the air around me tight and made me extremely uncomfortable considering he saw me at my weakest only a few hours before. I changed the subject, "We saw Veger yesterday, actually. He's trying to use Precursor technology for something."

Torn grunted, putting his hands behind his back, "Figures. That guy is always one monk short of a choir." He turned around and banged his fists on the table, making Dax jump, "We have bigger problems now. Veger sent me on a suicide attack into the Port and we got...cut off." He swallowed and tugged his collar, "Now there's no easy way back to Freedom HQ. Our forces are divided and the KG and metalhead fronts are squeezing us from both sides."

"Never fear," Daxter said, "The trouble twins are here!"

The center of the table beeped and a red, hologram light appeared in the center. It was a huge KG death bot that seemed to be walking in place. Torn leaned in and studied it, "Uh oh, speaking of trouble...we have incoming blast bots from the KG city section heading this way." He glanced at me, "Can you handle it, Jak?"

Daxter looked at me wide-eyed, "Okay, so we've got a little fear, but Jak is here!"

"I'm ready to kick some ass today," I said confidently, "Let's go, Dax."

**JDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJ**

Beaten and bloody, I shut the door of the Naughty Ottsel behind me, "Piece of cake." I brushed my hands off and walked up to Torn, "When are we going to have some real work to do?"

"Speak for yourself!" Daxter said from my shoulder, crossing his arms, "I don't enjoy getting thrown around like a rag doll!"

"Easy boys," Torn said, fiddling with the hologram projector, "There's plenty that needs to be done. Right now I want to update Ashelin..." Her hologram head was cutting in and out, "Ashelin? Ash! This is Torn, Jak is back from blowing up the blast bots!"

Ashelin's holographic head turned in our direction, _"Jak! I knew we could count on you!"_

Torn continued, "That new KG leader is probably pissing in his-" The hologram suddenly cut out completely, "Wait, someone's jamming the signal, I think-"

A new hologram head formed in the center of the table, the same one that had come out of that communicator off that metal-beast in the desert...

_"I LIVE."_ The voice laughed maniacally and I immediately recognized it, a pit forming in my stomach.

"Errol!" I growled. How could he be alive?!

_"Still fighting for the weak link, eh Jak?"_ His voice rang through the bar, _"Well, I've had a few 'enhancements' since we last met. Even the metalheads have their biological weakness...but me? I'm pure metal. And I'd love to meet you again..."_ His head went static and he disappeared, replaced by the visual of Samos and Ashelin.

Samos was pacing behind Ashelin, _"We must unite our forces or we're through! You've got to find a faster way to reach us, Jak!"_

_"We need you to break through quickly and link up with us before it's too late,"_ Ashelin urged, _"The KG robots are growing stronger. The floating war factory of theirs is spitting out more robots every day..."_

"We need to assault the KG front. If we can break through their defenses, we may be able to have better access to HQ and we'll be able to link up." Torn scratched his chin, turned to me and smiled, "Care to make some noise, Jak?"

My heart pounded, the familiar excited feeling of raising hell in Haven City returning. "We're always up for a little rumble, 'ey Dax?"

Daxter smiled coyly, "Fish in a barrel, baby. Fish...in a barrel."

**JDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJ**

By the time I lead a group of Freedom Fighters on the attack and successfully broke through the KG forces, night had fallen. We were sweaty, covered in blood, bruised and so fucking tired. But Dax had yet to see Tess yet, and I was eager to see my friend reunite with his girl, so I brought him to the armory before we headed home...or wherever we were going to spend the night.

The doors to the armory slid open slowly and Daxter was bouncing on the balls of his feet with excitement. I chuckled, watching him sprint through the smallest crack in the door as I waited for it to open wide enough for me. He bounded towards Tess, who turned to him with a look of pure joy covering her face.

"Daxter!" She squealed, bending down so he could jump into her arms, "You're back!" He hugged her around the neck as she snuggled him and stood, "Did that mean old desert burn your itty-bitty paws?" She cooed and I rolled my eyes, unable to help the smirk that was on my face.

Daxter must've seen my look, because he suddenly stopped nuzzling the shit out of Tessie and hopped out of her arms, "Hey, Tess baby, don't crush the merchandise! How's biz?" He asked, referring to her very important job as owner of the armory.

She grinned, "I'm designing new guns to help out the war effort!"

"You make guns now too?" I asked, pleasantly surprised and impressed. A lot really _had_ changed.

"Yeah!" She squeaked, "I just finished this new gun..." She pulled a large barrel off the wall and hooked on a yellow mod, "It sports a multi-port, large-bore, gyro-burst launcher with blowback breech assist, using full-jacket, eco-depleted, armor piercing-slugs-"

Daxter climbed onto my shoulder, his eyes wide and I shrugged as Tess rambled on about her new product. "-And a continuous kill zone scanner for tight groupings at a high-cycle rate of fire!" She giggled at the expressions on our faces, "It's a hobby."

I grinned and reached for the gun but she held it close to her. "Not so fast! First, you have to prove you can protect my little schnookums in the new gun course." She wiggled her fingers at Dax and I glared at him in annoyance as he blew her a kiss.

Once I beat the bronze record in the gun course, Tess handed me the gun, barely impressed. "Not bad shooting Jak...for a _guy_." I pursed my lips; she always gave me a hard time. "Now, I want you to protect my little baby with this, or else I'll hunt you down and hurt you real bad. Okay?" She blinked innocently despite the look of terror that was most definitely planted on my face.

Daxter's mouth was open, but he grinned, clearly pleased with her protective attitude, "Wow! I didn't know you had so much...rawr..." He growled sexually and she giggled. I couldn't take it anymore, so I let them say their gushy goodbyes and we headed out into the night.

"You know something Jak?" Daxter asked as we pushed through some crowds to find a zoomer.

"What's that, Daxter?"

"I think Tess and I have what you and D have. But more sexual."

I lifted my eyebrow and smiled, "I bet you weren't thinking that when you walked in on us and you saw my-"

"HEY!" Daxter covered his ears, "_Don't_ remind me!"

I laughed, feeling a sense of normalcy for a moment. Then I sighed, "Do you think we should go back to the apartment?"

"If by 'we' you mean _you_ go work shit out and _I_ spend the night at Keira's until Tess is out of work, then by all means yes."

A lump of panic rose in my throat. I didn't want to go alone, even though it wouldn't make any sense for Dax to be there. But Daxter and I were attached at the hip and I was very aware of the fact that I did rely on him to be there for me. But I was an adult, I was a man and this was something I had to do on my own. It was another test in my life that was solely for me to pass. I was no longer just a young, reckless renegade...I was a growing, learning fighter who soon would be teaching his own child how to be a fighter as well.

I agreed with Daxter, then pulled my communicator from my pocket and dialed Keira's number. "Hey Keira...Yes I'm fine, I'm going to stop by your place and clean up...I want to go to Darla now. Do you think it would be alright?"

**JDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJ**

_Darla_.

I stared out the window at the quiet streets below. I missed how busy it used to be...I felt kind of exposed without being surrounded by people always moving, trying to get somewhere. Now it wasn't safe to be in the streets so late at night, and everyone hid away. It was a depressing thing to think about.

Keira and Maichael had come over to check on me that evening, to make sure I was okay.

I was fine. As usual.

"Jak wants to see you, Darla." Keira said once she hung up the communicator. "I told him to come by."

I kept watching out the window and didn't answer her. I wanted to see him and I also didn't want to see him.

I heard her sigh. "Maichael," She whispered from the kitchen, "I need to go to the garage and relieve my workers before the metalheads come out to hunt. Stay with her until Jak arrives." Maichael agreed and I heard her come up behind me. She leaned in and kissed my cheek swiftly before heading out the front door.

I closed my eyes, turning away from the window. I leaned my head against the pane, and Maichael grumbled something inaudible. "What's that?" I asked.

He was leaning on the counter, eyebrows low and a grimace on his face. "Sorry. I was talking to myself. I'm just...pissed off."

I tilted my head, "It's fine, Maichael, really. I want to work this out with him."

Maichael stood and crossed his thick, muscled arms. From an outsiders point of view, he looked very intimidating. "How many times have I told him that if he ever hurts you, I'd knock him the fuck out?" He huffed, "This is the second time he's fucked you up."

I blew a curl out of my eye. "He hasn't 'fucked me up', Maichael. He made a mistake. We all make mistakes."

"Yeah, well." He stared at me sternly, "If he makes another 'mistake', he's done for."

I rolled my eyes, "I can handle myself, Maichael. I love you, but this tough guy act..." I shook my head, walking over to him, "We both know I could snap you like a twig."

He narrowed his eyes at me and poked me in the stomach, "You being pregnant _and_ pissed is not a good combination for anyone."

I wrapped my arms around his waist and rested my head on his chest. "Don't worry, you aren't on my shit list...today."

He laughed and returned the hug. Then there was a knock at the door, and his arms tensed around me. "That must be him..." He all but snarled.

I let go of him, seeing a slight spark of ferocity in his big brown eyes. I knew it was going to take time for Jak to earn Maichael's respect back. I leaned on the island, nodding my head to let Maichael know it was okay to open the door. He demurred for a moment, then proceeded to open the door.

**JDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJ**

_Jak_.

My fist that had knocked on the door froze in place as Maichael answered the door briskly. His eyes glared at me from the shadow of the door and he suddenly seemed much, _much_ taller than me.

"Make her cry and you die." He growled.

"MAICHAEL." I heard Darla scold from inside the apartment. Maichael stared me down for another second before moving out of the way and allowing me inside.

"Call me if you need anything, D. I'll come right away." He said, giving me one last look of disappointment before leaving and shutting the door behind him.

Darla was leaning on the counter, running her hand through her messy golden hair. My heart began thudding, typically, as if I hadn't seen her in years. I walked up to her and she looked up at me through tear-glistened eyelashes. Her eyes were glossy and so blue and I instinctively put my palm against her cheek. She looked different- a healing black eye and cuts. A newly formed scar in the upper corner of her lip...Maybe she _didn't_ look different, considering every time I saw her there was a new injury. I ran my thumb over the scar and her face softened. She put her hand over mine and turned her face into my palm, inhaling deeply.

"I missed you _so fucking_ much." She practically whispered.

I felt my chin quiver and tried to keep it together. I wrapped my free arm around her waist. "You have know how sorry I am for saying those things-"

"-I know-"

"-And if you had been the one to come to the desert, not Ashelin, you know I wouldn't have even _thought_ about staying in Spargus City-"

"-It's going to be okay, Jak-"

"-I know I have a lot to do before you fully forgive me-"

"-I already forgive you, I honestly subconsciously forgave you even after I was upset-"

She was gripping my shirt and I was clutching her to me, "-But I am going to prove to you that you're everything to me and I'm never, ever going to abandon you-"

"-You have nothing to prove, I know you're-"

"-Or our baby, I'm going to be the best damn husband and the best damn father, you'll see-!" She cut me off, pulling my face down to hers and she kissed me fiercely. I realized my face was stained with tears, hers and mine, and she held my face in my place as our lips molded together. Months of affection that were stolen away from us, emotions trapped away for so long, finally releasing. I couldn't help but think that Darla didn't make me weak, she never made me feel weak...she made me strong.

I gripped the back of her head, my fingers tangling in her hair, and pried my lips from hers. "I love you so much, I'm so sorry."

She ran her nose over mine, clutching my face in her hands, "It's okay, it's fine Jak...we have no time to waste thinking about mistakes and the past. No time at all...The best part of me is loving you."

I nodded and swallowed a hard lump. "I will always be with you."

She tugged my goggles off of my head and ran her fingers through my hair. My scalp tingled at the touch of her fingertips. She studied my face, concern and love in her eyes, the anger that was there before gone from them. She then moved to remove my pack and toss it on the floor, and she took my hands, guiding me to the couch.

I sat down, kicking my boots off, eager for her to sit with me. She slowly lowered herself, considering the weight she was carrying. I couldn't help but stare at her stomach...it still wasn't really sinking in, even though it had definitely hit me already. Several times that day.

She turned to face me, leaning her elbow on the back of the couch. Realizing I was still staring at her bump, I tore my eyes away and briefly locked eyes with her, instantly feeling embarrassed that she caught me ogling. A smile played across her lips and her hand went to her stomach.

"You looks so different, older. I love your hair...Um..." She began, "So...I'm...pregnant."

"Yeah," I breathed. She looked away, her face growing pink. I scooted closer to her, trying not to look at her belly or make her self-conscious. "That's mine...That's my baby in there."

"Yes, Jak."

I bit my bottom lip, resting my hand on hers on the back of the couch. "How...how is it?"

She rubbed her bump, looking down at it lovingly. It took my breath away. "He's healthy. He's going to be trouble though...he's got dark eco in his DNA."

I blinked at her, "He?"

She stopped rubbing her belly and looked at me, puzzled. "I don't know what the gender is, actually. That was weird, I don't know why I said 'he'...I guess since it's your baby I just...see you when I think of it."

I kept chewing on my bottom lip. "So...dark eco, huh?"

"Yeah. I have been on a yellow eco-infused medication on and off, so the baby is in control while it's still inside me. But it's _super_ active." She reached for my hand, "Do...do you...want to feel?"

My eyes widened. I didn't want to overstep my boundaries. Not that there were any but...she had nurtured and cared for it all these months without me. Shame pinged in my stomach for a second. But the look of hope on her face told me it was okay. I smirked, "Yeah...yeah, I would love to."

She licked the scar on her lip, scooting against me and placed my hand on the underside of her abdomen. Waiting patiently, I glanced at her face which was studying mine and I felt my cheeks grow warm. It was strange feeling this way around her, shy and sheepish like we were just starting out our relationship. I liked it.

That's when I felt something jab me in the hand.

My mouth opened. "It just moved!"

Darla grinned widely, "I know, I feel it."

I waited again in the hopes of feeling it. Almost instantly, another jab tapped my hand and my face cracked into happiness.

And that is the moment when it really sunk in...the fact that this baby was _really_ in there, moving around and being alive...that's when it sunk in that it was going to be my baby. _My_ kid.

I didn't know whether or not I wanted to cry, laugh or shit myself.

Instead of all those things, I leaned forward and kissed Darla several times on her lips. She smiled against mine. I pulled away and rested my head gently on her bump, wishing for more activity.

"Be careful, your kid is a fighter," Darla said proudly, looking down at me, "Punches and kicks all the time, just like it's father."

I couldn't stop smiling even after I felt it tap me in the temple. It's like the baby knew I was there. "Can it hear me?" I asked, "Can it hear our voices?"

"Yeah!" Her lopsided grin made my stomach flip, "I mean, I think so. I talk to it a lot."

I lifted my head and looked at her expectantly, and she lifted her shirt, revealing her soft skinned baby bump. I touched it softly, and violet electric sparks licked my fingertips and I leaned back in surprise. "Hi," I said to her stomach, suddenly feeling ridiculous. I rested my head back to her stomach and I could hear her heart pumping against my ear, "Can you hear me in there?"

Nothing happened. My eyes shifted up to look at Darla, "Keep talking." She said, "It's never heard your voice before."

"Um..." I didn't know what to say. I locked eyes with Darla again and she bit her pouty bottom lip. I smiled boyishly. "You're mother is so _beautiful_."

I felt a nudge against my head. "Oh!" I laughed. I felt like I was connecting with it somehow, and even though I had missed out on this kind of stuff I felt like it knew who I was. I rubbed Darla's belly. "She's going to be the best mother in the world." Darla rested her head against the couch as she watched me. "And I'm gonna be your father. I'm gonna take care of you forever." More nudges shifted against my head. "And your Uncle Daxter is going to be a terrible influence on you, especially during your developmental stages, because he wants your mother and father to have their hands full..."

Darla snorted, her eyes rolling before they closed, "Oh that's fucking _wonderful_, Jak." I laughed again and the baby reacted. I didn't want to move my head from her stomach...I wanted this to last forever.

But my face began to sweat so I lifted it and replaced Darla's shirt over her bump. I then pulled her onto my lap, and she looked down at me, eyelids heavy. She looked so tired and worn out. And every so often, that pang of guilt fell from my chest and into the pit of my stomach...feeling this was going to be inevitable for a while.

Darla's hand went to my face. Her thumb grazed over my eyebrow, to my temple, down my jawline and to my lips. She leaned forward and bit my bottom lip teasingly before kissing me full on. I sighed into the gesture, closing my eyes.

"I love you, Darla." I said against her mouth.

"I love you too, Jak." She whispered back.

For that moment, we were in a blissful peace, away from the terrible things happening outside and all around us. Away from the hurt and the anger and the pain. It was just us.

Just the three of us.

* * *

**JDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJ**

**A/N:**

The vision Jak was referencing to occurred in several chapters throughout **installment 1 of MTLH**.

So happy I could update twice in one week! I am going to get started on the next part immediately. I would love to space it out of course and keep all of you at bay, waiting for the next chapter, but I also get excited about putting the whole story out there!

I also want to be able to prepare for **installment 3**...

Until the next chapter!

_~RyJones_


	9. Back At It

**A/N:**

Hello all, here's another update! My note to you is quick today...

Enjoy.

* * *

**JDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJ**

_Darla_.

Jak and I had stayed awake most of the night, just talking about everything that had gone on since the courts had banished him. He told me of Spargus City and all his adventures. He told me of his new light eco gene, and how it had been the one thing that kept his darker mind stable. He said he had been spending time with Sig, and that Daxter's old friend Nica, who we _thought_ had passed away, was actually very much alive and living in Spargus. Jak also told me that he had earned of the respect of Spargus's king, Damas, who I now knew was the man from my visions. I refrained from telling Jak anything regarding that, though.

He told me about how much he enjoyed life in Spargus, which at first twisted my gut as I remembered the words he had said to Ashelin, but he was quick to say that it was only a distraction away from his worry and fear. He mentioned that, in Spargus, he was treated like the warrior, the hero he worked so hard to be. I told him that a I had seen him once, in the vision Onin had sent me, and that every day I was proud of him. I made sure he knew that it was okay that he liked being in Spargus, because he was doing what Samos had told him to do, years ago when we came through the rift gate: he was finding himself. I also let him know that I always had faith in him, no matter where he was, and that he never had be sorry or feel bad for anything.

We had slept for maybe a couple of hours before Torn called Jak over the communicator at sunrise. I got up and tugged his arms and he laid in bed, whining about how tired he was. Then I kissed him repeatedly until he finally rose from his cocoon of blankets.

When it was time for him to head out, he stood in the doorway of the apartment and he was cupping my face in his hands. He smiled down at me dreamily, eyelids heavy and every once in a while he would lean in to kiss me. I flashed my best, bravest smile at him and he bent down, his face level with my plump belly.

"You take care of your mommy while I'm gone," He said to my stomach, beaming. His words made my heart skip. "You've done a great job so far." He looked up at me briefly before continuing, "She's tough, but so are you." He held my sides and kissed my baby bump, and then stood.

I smirked, "I love you. Whatever Torn is making you do...please be careful." I grabbed his hips, tugging him close to me, "_We_ need you."

"I love you." Jak kissed me again, fiercely this time, in a way that made me hungry for more, but I knew he had to go. He pouted when I stopped him, pecked me one last time and then headed out the door.

Once it closed behind him, I let out a sharp whoosh of breath I had been holding in since we awoke. I hurried to the bedroom, throwing on a pair of joggers, boots and one of Jak's tunics. I sniffed it, his scent bringing me comfort, then grabbed my communicator off of the side table. I dialed Keira's number and it rang.

"_Hey, D!_" She exclaimed but sounded tired, "_What's-_"

"Keira, I -_huff_\- need your help." I said urgently, rubbing my bump. The cramping was getting worse, becoming more painful with every breath I took.

"_Darla, what is it?!_"

I bent over, holding in a groan, "It's the baby, something's wrong. Please, help me."

**JDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJ**

_Jak_.

I had a bounce in my step today.

My gut still ached from guilt, my head hurt from lack of sleep and I yearned to just lay in bed with Darla all day...but I was satisfied with how we left things and I was ready to kick some ass.

I took a zoomer to Naughty Ottsel, and luckily I was able to get through the Industrial sector much easier now that we'd cleared the way. Parking around the alleyway, I adjusted the pack on my back, double-checked to see if my jet board was there, and hurried inside. Daxter was on the bar, kicking his legs, flirting and whispering with Tess, who was still in her bed clothes, fluffy pink bath robe included.

Torn was at the center table, messing around with the console when I approached him. He glanced up at me, "'Bout time you showed your face. I thought I was going to have to shoot myself with these two fucking around," He jabbed his thumb over his shoulder at the two love birds.

I rolled my eyes, "They haven't seen each other in six months. Give them a break."

"I wish _I_ could have a break." Torn grumbled. "Daxter, get your furry asshole over here so I can brief you and Jak!"

Daxter sighed obnoxiously and jumped to the floor, scurrying over quickly as Torn pointed at maps of the sewers, "Jak, I need you to go into the sewers and into the metalhead city section," He started, "We need to attack their hive from below."

I grimaced, "I'm back for ten minutes and you're already sending me back to the sewers..."

"It's our _only_ way in right now..." He wrinkled his nose, "We haven't been in those old passageways since the war broke out, but no scouts have reported movement down there."

Daxter put his hands on his hips, "Um, that's a good thing, right?"

Torn's lip twitched, "I mean, no scouts have ever come back alive to tell us."

Daxter pursed his mouth. "Oh." Then he realized what Torn said and his eyes snapped open, "OH! Still giving us the crappy missions, huh?"

I shrugged a smile playing across my lips, "Dark, dirty, dangerous...I'm beginning to _like_ this war."

Torn grinned widely, patting me on the shoulder. "It's good to have you back."

**JDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJ**

Ashelin called with another mission as soon as Daxter and I had cleared out the sewers, and Daxter was complaining nonstop as usual.

"I miss when we lived in a place where our comrades asked us to go do awesome jobs," He trudged behind me, his feet covered in mud (I hoped).

I pouted reflexively, "Yeah, kind of sucks being ordered around without a 'thank you' or a 'good job'."

"And there were no sewers. Just sand."

I laughed, "Torn's favorite place is the sewers."

I snagged an abandoned zoomer and Dax and I headed for the south Port border, where metalheads were using a cache of dark eco to make weapons. The entire area was practically all swamp, noxious gasses and fumes filling the air and making me catch a buzz. We had to wear our goggles through the fog, since it was so potent and made our eyes burn.

"I can't believe this used to be a place where people were." Daxter said loudly over the rickety zoomer engine.

It was startling, especially since so much of the city was gone. "I can't even remember what it looked like before, Dax..."

"My guess is, if we're near the south border, we should be near South Haven Forest," Daxter scratched his head, "So this must've been the agricultural section of the city."

I mentally flashed back to what that portion of the city looked like...green grass, blooming enormous plants, grazing yakows. I remembered being chased by KG multiple times through those twists and turns, and as I drove now I realized they indeed were the same turns as when it was the agricultural section.

"Hmm." I said quietly.

Up ahead it looked like there was a metalhead nest, where the creatures were in the process of farming dark eco from this an enormous plant. I lowered hover zones and quickly pulled over along the side of a wall. Dax scampered up my arm from the passenger seat as I whipped out Tess's newest invention.

"This baby will get the job done quick," Daxter whispered into my ear, "You can tell Tess is a _real_ freak...if you get my drift." He snickered and I made a face.

I crept up to the nest slowly. While on a regular basis I always went running in, gun and eco powers blazing, I wanted to test this gun's kill zone scanner. I aimed directly over the crowding metal beasts, then deployed the silver and yellow disk into the air above them.

Ducking in cover, Dax and I covered our ears as the bullets spurt out loudly at the metalheads, and for a long time, too. Once the sounds ceased, Daxter mouthed "wow!" to me and we slowly peeked around the edge of a rock we hid behind.

Metalhead bodies were strewn about, bullet holes in their armor. The results proved that the gun was very effective, not to mention impressive. The disk was black now, no trace of yellow eco remaining, and lying in the crumpled heap of metal bodies. Behind the massacre was an enormous throbbing, pulsating budding plant thriving with dark eco, electric bolts zapping out of its vines.

"Wow!" I exclaimed, echoing Daxter's previous reaction, "Remind me never to doubt Tess's abilities."

"I always believed in my little Tessie-poo." Daxter stood tall and walked around the corpses, checking out the plant. "Whoa! Check this out..."

I walked up next to Daxter and stood before the monstrous vegetation. It was practically humming with power and the poison vibrating through it was causing Daxter shiver, and he stepped behind me. "Jak...I don't like this."

"It's okay Daxter, it's just a sick plant." I put my hand on his head protectively, reassuring him. _Just like how I was for a long time...A sick host for dark eco._

My demon was whispering in the back of my mind- it could sense the power too. _**Just one touch...**_

"I'm going to tug it out by the roots and toss it into the trench," I said to Dax, "That should do the trick."

_**So much power you can harness, Jak...**_

"O-okay," Daxter said quietly, his ears drooping low, "Just...be careful."

I pat his head again then stepped up to the pulsing bud. I could hear voices, not just my demon's voice in my head but a thousand quiet whispers erupting from within the purple flower. I blinked at it, fascinated with how this living plant was adapting to the dark eco infested atmosphere here. If we stayed here over a constant period of months, would we be completely transformed permanently too?

_**That's an appealing thought, isn't it?**_

I couldn't help but smile slightly at the plant. I was sure it had been a defenseless little seed, and once the dark eco had touched it, it blossomed into this incredible, powerful source of energy. I reached forward to put my hands around the bud...

Suddenly the plant exploded, blasting me backward so that I landed on my back hard. Pain erupted my entire body; all I could see were spots and all I could hear was ringing in my ears and Daxter shouting my name repeatedly. My demon was hysterical and I felt my blood boil in anger. I rolled onto my stomach, moved to my knees and a sharp pain rocked in my chest and stomach, so horrible that I could only see red.

I got to my feet, trying to shake this _unfathomable_ pain but another wave hit me and I keeled over, releasing what sounded like a mix between a growl, yelp and moan; a sound that I didn't recognize as my own. My demon then forced itself out of me and I collapsed to my knees again, crying out as my claws slid from my fingertips. Through the sheer fire I searched for my light eco, hoping that my advanced healing would somehow numb the pain, but it was nowhere in my mental sights. I then produced a violet beam of light from my palms and flung it toward the rest of the eco cache, blasting it into smithereens.

I fell forward onto my arms, my body reverting back to human form. I felt sick...My skin burned me, the heat coming from inside me. I heard Daxter run up to me shouting, "Jak! Jak!" He reached me, wrapping his arms around my bicep, pulling it. "Get up Jak, metalheads are coming! Please get up!"

I moaned, putting my head on the ground, my cheek resting against the cool stone. I looked up at my pal, "Daxter...?" I breathed heavily and closed my eyes.

"Hang in there, buddy!" Daxter's hands left my arm and my hand balled into a fist by my face. I heard him shift around, "I'm just going to grab this here..." I then started hearing snarls and growls in the distance. "Shit!" Daxter sounded very far away now. I heard gunfire then, the loudness making my body jolt in response, and more waves of pain rippled through me. I cried out.

Daxter screamed briefly and then shouted, "Back! Back, you beasts!" More gunfire. I breathed in and out slowly, meditating with the pulsing pain in my body. Daxter yelled again, "Stay away from my brother, you bastards!"

I blacked out.

**JDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJ**

_Darla_.

I was laying on a hard bed in one of the rooms at the healer's office, clutching my cramping abdomen. I hiccupped for the thousandth time that day, a purple wisp with tiny electric bolts escaping my lips yet again, foggy like breath on a cold day. I groaned and Healer Kenzo and Keira were both standing at my side.

"It's not the baby who is hurting, Darla." He said solemnly.

I grimaced, squeezing my eyes shut. I should've been thankful that the baby was healthy, but I knew that Kenzo would be giving me some kind of lecture on how I'm not taking enough yellow eco-infused pills.

"We might need to induce labor."

My eyes snapped open and I sat up, "Doc, I hope you're _kidding_."

He frowned, running a hand through his hair, "I'm afraid not."

Keira, crossing her arms, stood and turned to Kenzo, "She's only about seven months along, Kenzo, this is too dangerous for the baby-"

"It's killing her," He snapped, "The pills just aren't _working_ anymore. The baby is adapting. If you want to live, I suggest we get it out of you."

"No!" I exclaimed, rubbing my stomach, "I'd rather my baby live than risk it dying because of premature birth!" I wrapped my arms around myself.

"I can't promise that you will make it through the next two months!" Kenzo's tone was scolding, but his face pitied me. And I hated that.

"Kenzo, I won't _live_ if my baby dies."

His mouth closed and he looked down at the floor. He then sat on the bed and put his hand on mine. "It's your choice, I am only just giving you my medical advice."

"You can shove it up your ass."

"Darla," Keira frowned at me.

I knew I was being childish but I couldn't risk losing my baby. I knew it was meant to be born and I had to keep fighting. I _had_ to.

Kenzo looked at me sadly, "It's fine, I understand why you are...lashing out." He rose to his feet, "It's part of my job to deliver bad news and it's never easy. For me _or_ the patient."

I sighed. "I'm sorry Doc. But I am going to keep fighting. I have to just make it at least another month. I can do it, you have to trust me."

"It all depends on how you're body is going to fight, Darla." Kenzo warned. "You have genetics that help you heal quickly which is what has kept you alive the past few months, but the baby's continuous transformations are taking a _serious_ toll on your body." He wrote out a prescription and handed me the slip of paper, "The best I can do for you right now is provide painkillers..."

I took the paper and smiled warmly, "I appreciate it greatly." He nodded and then left the room without another word.

"Damnit Darla," Keira rubbed her stressed face, strands of aqua hair peeking out of place, "You're so headstrong."

I shrugged and got off of the bed, "I just want Jak's kid to be alive and healthy, is that too much to ask?"

"But what about you, D, what about you being alive and healthy?"

I struggled to bend down to tug my boots on, "Keira, can you-" But she already squatted down to lift my shoes to me, "Thanks."

"Darla, I'm being serious though." Once my boots were on, she pulled me to my feet, "Jak would never forgive you for letting yourself die. He wouldn't be able to live."

I licked my lips, avoiding eye contact with her, "He _will_ live." I walked to the door, expecting Keira to follow, but she didn't. I turned around.

Her hands were at her side, her bright eyes wide with a combination of fear and concern. "Darla," She whispered, "Are you..._going_ to die?"

I knew what she was asking...had I seen Jak and my child in a vision without me? Was my baby going to live and I wasn't? The truth was that, no, I hadn't had any visions of this. I had only a few visions of myself being pregnant, and I had one vision ever of myself holding the baby at some point in time, but other than that I still wasn't getting many visions, especially since the baby was still with me and interfering with my abilities.

"No, no." I answered her. I hiccupped another purple, electric puff of air. "But I know Jak. And I know myself. And if we just do this the way I know we're supposed to, everything is going to be fine."

She looked relieved, but I could tell she was still worried. "Okay. But the next time you have a scare...we're getting that baby out." I rolled my eyes and she brushed past me through the door, "Let's just...get you home."

Maichael had been outside the building, pacing back and forth anxiously. When he saw us coming, he came up an embraced me tightly.

"I'm fine." My voice was muffled by his hoodie.

"You're always fine," Maichael meant for it to come out in a scolding way, but the emotion in his voice told me he, too, was relieved. He pulled away, grabbing Keira's hand, and we headed back to my apartment. Once we walked through the door, we noticed my communicator on the kitchen counter was beeping nonstop.

"Oh!" I said surprised, and I snatched it up, "Hello?"

"_DARLA!_" Daxter's voice came screeching through the speaker. I grinned, extremely happy to hear his voice.

"Daxter! I've missed you so much-" I started but he cut me off.

"_You guys need to come help us!_" He shouted, the urgency in his voice scaring me. I heard a groan in the background that sounded like Jak and my stomach flipped. Dax muttered something inaudible and then said, "_Metalheads! We're by the south Port border, please hurry! AAAH!_" Gunfire sounded as he screamed and the transmission cut.

I spun around to face my friends, "We need to get to the south Port border right now! Jak and Daxter are in trouble, something about metalheads!"

"I'll go!" Maichael said, turning to Keira, "You both stay here and-"

_**NO!**_ My demon hissed and I said simultaneously. Maichael began to protest but I put my hand up, "I know how to handle metalheads. I am coming."

Maichael shook his head, "But D-!"

_**We have to go, don't let him stop you!**_ She pushed. I felt no pain and I felt ready to slay. I was always strong, always motivated to fight and I wasn't going to back down when I _knew_ for a fact that no matter what state I was in, I was an unstoppable force. I fully embraced who I was, dark eco and all.

"I. Am. Coming." I said, my tone calm, complete seriousness in my voice. Maichael didn't argue any further and he nodded, brown-eyes focused.

"Let's go!"

**JDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJ**

We sped through what used to be the vibrant, crisp agricultural area of Haven City, and Keira was flying the zoomer low to the ground so we could scan it for Jak and Dax. There were a few metalheads running around but it was nothing to be alarmed about.

"Where are they?" Keira muttered.

My demon was practically jumping up and down. _**Oh my god, I can't wait to just fucking tear my teeth into those metalheads, I'm going to rip them to shreds, I'll hit them with their own limbs and-!**_

"There!" Maichael leaned forward from the back seat of the zoomer and pointed towards a mess of metalhead bodies, as well as living ones sprinting toward a small, orange ottsel.

"That's Daxter!" Keira shouted, "He's been fighting them off by himself?!"

A few feet behind him was an unconcious Jak, facedown on the ground, not moving whatsoever. Metalheads were surrounding my two favorite boys, and one of which was poking and prodding at Jak, pushing his limp body like a toy.

Before Keira could even shift hover zones, I flung myself over the front of the zoomer, my darker self tearing through my skin and I started slashing my way in the duo's direction. I could hear Keira and Maichael shouting off in the distance, but my black eyes were on the prize: killing, killing, killing.

I can't remember much of the fight. All I can remember are swirling visuals of arms and legs and metalhead teeth. I remember laughing at one point. Keira was driving over metalheads with her zoomer. I could see Maichael shooting his pistol at the oncoming metalheads while I took care of the ones specifically surrounding my furry little friend. He ran out of bullets suddenly and as a metalhead closed in on him I scooped Daxter up and exploded the metalhead through the chest with one of my dark eco blasts.

"DARLA!" Daxter shouted my name, both out of fear and gratitude, and scrambled onto my shoulder, gripping my shirt by my shoulder blade. I continued spinning around and blasting metalheads until my demon couldn't physically _find_ anymore. Swaying from the adrenaline, my body very slowly returned back to its human state. Daxter hid his face in my shoulder, blood caked on his face. He glanced up at me, shaking.

"Thanks, D."

Maichael and Keira came running over and we all made our way over to Jak. He had a bruise on his face with a tiny cut and I knelt beside him and gently touched it. "What happened?" I asked Daxter.

He propped himself up on my shoulder, "Oh man it was _crazy_," He began, "Ash told us to clear out this dark eco, 'cause the metalheads were making weapons with it. Then after Jak killed the metalheads, he went to rip the plant out but it blew the fuck up and the blast hit him square in the midsection!"

Maichael rolled Jak onto his back and lifted his blue tunic. Jak moaned ever so quietly, but his eyes wouldn't open and it made me feel sick. We all gasped in unison as he revealed a dark purple and red throbbing bruise that went from beneath his left peck, over his rib cage and down to his abdomen.

Daxter covered his eyes, "I feel woozy..."

I reached up and pet him, "Daxter are you hurt?"

He leaned into me, "No...I don't know. I just don't feel good. I'm tired."

"We need to get him to a healer _right now_," Maichael said, hoisting Jak up into his arms bridal style, "This looks really bad and we're not exactly in the safest place right now."

Keira got up then and ran over to the zoomer, hopping inside and driving it over to us, "We need to get out of here, I can hear them coming..."

Maichael place Jak over his shoulders and got into the zoomer while I pulled Daxter off my back and into my arms. I got into the vehicle and Keira sped us off into the air. I kept glancing back at my Jak. It was rare to see him so...vulnerable. He was the strongest person who had ever lived and I hated seeing him like this, or anyone else seeing him this way.

Keira and Maichael were talking loudly over the engine and they became a hum in the background. Daxter was sitting on my baby bump, his head resting on my boobs, but he made no snarky comments or jokes. He was tugging at my tunic, twisting the cloth within his grasp. I took his hands in mine and he glanced at me, sadness in his eyes. They reflected my thoughts exactly: if he hadn't been there with Jak...Jak would have died.

"He's so lucky to have you," I said quietly so only he would hear, "He would be dead if it weren't for you, Daxter. In more ways than one..."

Daxter nodded and pat my hand, "He missed you. We both did. It's so fucking good to see you...not under the current circumstances of course. And I can only really see you through your cleavage."

There it was. I giggled briefly and he smiled. He closed his eyes and nuzzled into my chest, "I'm going to enjoy it now because this might be the closest I'll ever get to your zingers."

I narrowed my eyes at him. But I couldn't help myself...I loved him and I really missed his wiseass. "You're Jak's best friend, so you're my best fried; what's his is yours...not literally but-"

"There's boundaries, but not really." He flashed a toothy grin at me, eyes still closed.

"Yeah. Exactly." I smirked and shook my head. He fell asleep only a minute later, and the rest of the ride we were all quiet.

The healer we went to was actually set up in one of the empty warehouses in the Port. He had a tent set up outside for immediate transport, considering war victims were always being brought in by combat medics these days. The set up was perfect for instant assistance, and it made me miss my own job as a combat medic. It had been a very long time...I couldn't wait to get back in the game.

Maichael stood by the healer, explaining the situation quickly as they helped him place Jak onto the table. Daxter had woken up and was standing on the top of my head, trying to see over the healers and medics working on Jak. I took him outside of the tent once they hooked Jak up to a heart monitor- I knew how anxious hearing that beeping sound made someone.

I leaned against one of the building walls and Daxter climbed down my body to the ground. He put his hands on his hips, raised his eyebrows at me and whistled. "Well, look at _you_."

I rolled my eyes, sliding down the wall and sitting on the ground. "I know."

"You're morbidly pregnant."

"Thank you, Dax, I know."

"I mean, at least you're _hot_ and morbidly pregnant."

I grinned at him. "You're going to have to start watching what you say around your nephew."

Daxter's eyes widened and he beamed at me, "It's going to be a boy?!"

I was sure my face was confused once again...I kept doing that...calling it a "he"..."I'm not sure, I feel like it's a boy. Don't say anything to Jak, nothing is for sure, you know?"

Daxter scampered up to me and rested his hand on my belly. "Whatever it is, I promise I'll be _the best_ uncle it ever has."

I lifted an eyebrow, "Why does that worry me?" I said teasingly. The baby then nudged the area where Daxter's hand was.

He shook his head incredulously, "Wow. That's an amazing thing." I nodded and he rubbed the spot, "It's all so crazy. You and Jak _made_ that. And it's literally _right in there_, in your stomach!"

It _was_ an amazing thing...everything that happened to Jak and I, whether it was wonderful or terrible or in between the two...our life, our story, was really _amazing_. Some day, we'd tell it to our kid when he or she was grown and could understand all the serious aspects of our lives. One day, the baby would know _everything_.

"You know," Daxter said, smiling sneakily, "I kind of hope it's a boy...Because then I can teach him everything he needs to know about the ladies. And you can name him after me."

"Oh brother..."

**JDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJ**

_Jak_.

I was having incredible dreams and nightmares. They weren't visually clear...they were blurry, like a film was covering my eyes. And I would flash in and out between the dreams and just plain darkness with sound playing in the background. Darla was in them, but she was in her darker form, tearing through the flesh of metalheads, a monster killing the creatures so _effortlessly_...I didn't know whether to feel safe or terrified.

I kept seeing so much green and purple for a while. And then I felt warm, arms wrapping around me...someone holding me. My cheek rested on soft material. A sweatshirt? Maybe not, because the next time I faded out and back in I was so cold, _icy_ cold. I wanted to hold myself but I felt paralyzed. It was noisy and I wanted it to be quiet more than I wanted to be warm.

I fell into a deeper sleep and entered a dream where I was standing on a cliff in Spargus, looking out at the ocean, holding someone's little hand. I looked down at my side, but all I could see was the ghost of an image that looked like my younger self. He looked up at me, his body and eyes translucent, his thumb grazing the top of my knuckles. The feeling was very comforting, and I sat down on the cliff, letting my feet dangle over the edge. The ghost of my past self disappeared and I suddenly felt lonely. I stared down at the blue water, crashing against the rocks below, and thought about how beautiful it was and how much Darla and Dax would love this view.

Suddenly I felt someone shove me violently from behind and I went tumbling off the cliff, pain coursing through my entire body as I yelled, and everything went black.

My eyes snapped open and I bolted upright. It was bright and my eyes took time to adjust before I realized I was in my bed at the apartment. I fell back against the pillows, groaning.

"Morning, sleeping beauty!" I heard Daxter's voice crone, "You've been out for over a week."

I tilted my head and saw Daxter sitting on Darla's shoulder while they stood in front of the big picture window in mine and Darla's room. Darla's face was filled with concern, her blue eyes glossy but she smiled, "You look good, love."

I smiled weakly and slowly sat myself up as they approached me. "Strangely enough, I'm just as tired as before I went to sleep." I stretched my neck, "What the hell happened?"

Darla sat on the edge of the bed beside me and rubbed my arm. "Daxter saved your fucking life."

Dax flexed his arms proudly and flashed his pearly whites. I lifted an eyebrow skeptically, "What _really_ happened?"

"It's true!" He fought, "You got bitch-slapped by a plant that injected you with tons and _tons_ of dark eco. You got some nasty power with it," Dax wrinkled his nose in distaste, "It did a doozy of a beating on you man, I'll tell you that."

I remembered the utter pain shattering my very core and flinched at the memory. I looked down at my bare stomach and to my _horror_, I saw a thin tube with tape holding it in me, sticking out of my bruised but healing abdomen. My lips parted in fright and Darla squeezed my arm, "It's attached to a packet of green eco over here," She pointed to a bag on the side table, "It's transferring the eco into your blood to flush out the toxins from your wound. You just need to finish this one and then I will get that tube right out, I promise."

I stared down at the tube, watching the vibrant, green, flowing liquid. It reminded me of dark eco injections and I felt a sense of panic making my heart pump. But Darla was reassuring me, she knew how I reacted to these kinds of things. She knew what gave me nightmares and she knew the right things to say, so I needed to trust her. I tore my eyes away from the tube and looked her dead in the eyes so I wouldn't look back at it.

"Anyway," Daxter said, rubbing his hands together, "You got knocked the fuck out. And metalheads, _hundreds_ of metalheads were headed right for us so I broke out the Vulcan Fury mod, popped it on your gun and started shooting!"

"He's not exaggerating either," Darla said, smiling proudly at Daxter, "There were hundreds of them before we even arrived to help."

"I had to keep them away from you, you wouldn't wake up." Daxter shook his head, "And while I was shooting them up, I called D and told her, Keira and Maichael to come get us, and when they came Darla _literally_ jumped out of the zoomer midflight and went 'dark Darla' on those metal fuckers!"

Darla shrugged and smirked, "I live for shredding the 'heads."

I rested my head against the headboard and grinned at my two best friends. "I can't believe I missed it. You guys kicked ass."

Daxter hopped onto the bed and glanced at Darla, still smiling, "Darla always kicks ass, that's nothing new, I'm still impressed with my own epic shooting skills!"

I stared between the two of them, my grin still plastered on my face. _How did I get so lucky, to have my best friend and my girl be best friends too? How'd I get so lucky..._I kept asking in my head subconsciously. Darla leaned forward then and planted a fat kiss right on my lips.

Daxter feigned a gagging sound, crossing his arms. "HEY! What about me, Jak? When do I get _my_ kiss?"

I reached my hand out for a low-five and he slapped it. I pat his arm, "Thanks for saving me, Dax. I'm so proud of you. Really."

He waved his hand, "It was nothing. Don't get used to it, Jakie."

I started getting drowsy then and I felt my body relax. I looked from my buddy to my girl, then to her stomach before I allowed sleep to take me.

**JDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJ**

_Darla_.

Jak's communicator had been ringing off the hook the entire day while he slept. He was out cold- he didn't even twitch when I removed the tube and bandaged him up. Daxter was handling his incoming calls, screeching about how Jak was unavailable so "find someone else to do your dirty work!".

"_Man_!" Daxter said, tossing the communicator across the couch. He leaned against my side, "We can't catch a break! Jak could be unconcious and they'd still think he's ready for the next mission."

I tilted my head, "Jak _is_ a valuable member of the war, but people forget that he's only human."

"A human who channels eco and also has super powers."

"Exactly."

The communicator rang again and Dax threw his arms to the sky. As he scurried across the couch to answer the call, Jak emerged from the hall, shirtless and rubbing his eyes sleepily, blonde hair all spiked up from the pillow. I grinned at him and when he saw me, that lopsided smirk formed on his face. I opened my arms, indicating for him to come to me and he walked over, climbing onto the couch and leaning in to kiss me.

"I DON'T CARE IF THE PLANTS ARE IN DANGER, SAMOS!" Daxter shouted. "I DON'T CARE IF THE FUCKING MOUNTAINS ARE CALLING, AND I DON'T CARE IF THE_ ROCKS DO NOT RECALL!_" He was jumping up and down on the couch angrily, "STOP CALLING!" He slammed the communicator repeatedly, and uselessly, into the couch cushions.

Jak looked at me quizzically. I just shook my head, indicating there was nothing to worry about, and _don't ask_. He jutted his bottom lip out at me, then moved down and rested his head on my thighs. "What's going on, Dax?" He asked, despite my warning to him.

Dax's head snapped around to glare at Jak, "You _had_ to be so 'chosen', didn't you!" He plopped down on his bottom and crossed his arms, "Either you're trying to get me killed, get me in tough, or _gross_, situations, or I'm answering your _damn_ phone calls like a secretary!"

Jak flashed him a smile, "The work is never done, partner."

The communicator started ringing again, muffled by the couch cushions. Daxter let out a stream of loud profanity and dug through the couch until he whipped the communicator out and answered, "WHAT IS IT NOW?!"

Jak sat up on his knees, "Let me-"

Daxter held up his hand to make him quiet. "Uh-huh..." There was a pause. "Mhm, I see." Another pause. "Yes. Okay. _Glorious_. I will see to it." He hung up and placed the communicator onto the couch.

Jak and I exchanged a look of confusion and Daxter turned to face us, his face completely straight. "Jak?"

"...Um...Yeah?" Jak lifted his eyebrows.

"Where is your gun?"

"Why...?"

"I want to shoot Samos."

Jak laughed, "What's the problem?"

Daxter shook his fists at the sky, "Grandpa Green, the _bane_ of my existence, is the problem!" He crossed his arms, "He said he as an 'easy mission' for us to do when you feel ready and on your feet, involving exterminating infected plants in South Haven Forest."

Jak's eyes flickered with memory; he clearly missed the forest...feeling free and with nature. He nodded. "Okay, we can do that. It doesn't sound too bad."

Daxter groaned, "I told him no a million times today but he_ just wouldn't quit!_" He growled, "But this time he called and said he would drag me out of the apartment by my balls and make me do it myself if I didn't at least ask you if you were up for the task."

"Samos gets what he wants, we both have known this our whole lives." Jak blinked, "I'm shocked you actually had the gall to tell him no!"

"Yeah, well, I wanted you to get better." He said, then turned to the communicator on the couch, which began ringing again, "But apparently that's _TOO MUCH TO ASK!_ FOR FUCK'S SAKE!" He jumped up and down again.

"Dax, you want some of my painkillers? It chills me the fuck out." I said to Dax slyly.

He glared at me, then closed his eyes, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Darla, if you weren't pregnant with my best friend's baby...carrying my newest little buddy in your womb..."

I laughed out loud and Jak chuckled, "Alright Dax, let's just take care of those plants and shut Samos up."

Daxter rolled his eyes, "He said that Keira told him the jet board can channel green eco so we won't have to touch the plants. She doesn't want you to blow up again." He tapped his chin, "He _also _said there are ancient Precursor pillars in the forest that may have a link to the catacombs."

Jak got to his feet, wincing slightly, "We'd better get going, Dax. I'll just get dressed." He made a face that told me he was still in pain, but I knew he would fight me if I even suggested he stay here and rest. I sighed and watched him stretch.

He looked at me, his face softening, leaned forward and kissed me on the cheek. "I'll be okay, Darla. I promise." He smiled warmly and I nodded.

"Yeah, I'll cover his ass just like last time, don't you worry, D!" Daxter smirked and hopped off the couch, scrambling over to Jak, "Don't go into labor while we're out, okay?"

I smiled, rubbing my stomach, "I won't, this kid's not going anywhere."

At least I hoped it wouldn't.

**JDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJ**

* * *

**A/N:**

Expect frequent updates! I have plenty of plans for the future. So excited to reveal things. I appreciate your feedback and thank you all for sticking with the story!

Til the next chapter...

_~RyJones_


	10. Clashing Sides

**A/N:**

I know it has been a while! I have been very busy traveling the world, having many adventures. I also just got a brand spankin' new laptop, so it should be much easier to update with quicker technology!

Thanks for the loyalty! Here's chapter 9.

**JDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJ**

_Jak_.

Bloody, bruised, weary.

Torn was right; the KG and metalheads _did_ seem to be working together to eliminate the Underground. They were attacking on all fronts, and the only thing that stood between them and the Naughty Ottsel were the Freedom Fighters...and me.

Torn screamed commands through communicators, one my own, others from bodies strewn about the streets. Daxter was shooting my blaster mod from my shoulder while I aimed the Peacemaker at the largest enemies. The KG blast bots were lethal, shooting up every moving object in their way, while the metalheads raged forward. I wasn't sure how much more we could take.

But the last stretch of bots and beasts finally ended, with more casualties on our side than theirs.

I dragged a Freedom Fighter into the bar. He groaned in pain, what used to be an arm was now sliced in half. Lucky for us, Darla had sent over medics ahead of time, foreseeing the attack and contacting Torn prior to its arrival. I abandoned the Fighter to Darla's healers, and slugged over to Torn.

"Sig called," He said, leaning over on the table, "He needs you back in Spargus."

Dax and I glanced at each other. I grimaced, "But...we only just got back."

Torn shook his head and sighed. "You're a wanted man, Jak. Everyone is counting on you to help."

Dax crossed his arms. "We better be getting First Class seats this time, no catacomb traveling bullshit!"

"I have a Hellcat cruiser waiting for you outside," Torn glared at Daxter. "It'll be better for you this way; you'll get back and forth much faster."

_Back **and** forth. Ugh._ "I need to at least say goodbye to Darla first-"

"-No time for that. Sig said it was urgent." Torn tossed me a handkerchief from the table then. "Wipe the blood off your face, for god-sake Jak."

I caught it, handed it to Daxter, then stormed toward the door. As Torn stated, there was indeed a fairly large, heavily armored Hellcat awaiting transport. The door shifted open, and Dax hopped off my shoulder to run inside. I plopped down next to him on the fancy leather seats, taking the handkerchief from him and rubbing my face with it as the doors sealed shut.

"I should at least call her." I said, pulling out my communicator.

"Tell her to let Tessie know I'm away on business and that I'll be back before she misses me!" Daxter put his hands behind his head and leaned back, closing his eyes.

I dialed Darla and waited. It rang and rang, but there was no answer. I frowned at my communicator, then dialed Keira.

"_Hey, hun!_" Her voice crackled through the earpiece, sounding unnaturally chipper. "_What's going on?_"

"I'm heading back to Spargus, and I can't get ahold of D." I chewed my bottom lip, my heart sinking. "If you can find her, please let her know?"

"_Yeah...of course._" She paused and I heard the muttering of someone else in the background. "_I have _**no**_ idea where she could possibly be, but I will make sure to relay the message..._"

"Tell her I love her, okay?" I swallowed hard, clutching the communicator, "Tell her I'll be back as soon as possible."

"_Mhmm, I got it, don't worry!_" She rushed, "_I've got to run though, bye Jak!_" More muttering. Then there was a click.

I lifted an eyebrow at my communicator. "Well that was strange."

Daxter scratched his head. "She must be busy with war-stuff. I wouldn't worry too much." He popped an eye open, "Besides, her and D are so far up each other's asses, I'm sure the message will get to her quickly."

"Yeah," I grumbled, wishing I had at least been able to hear her voice. But it was too late now that we were returning to our desert haven.

There was a lot I needed to catch Sig up on anyway. And hopefully, Haven would need me back before I became attached to Spargus again.

**JDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJ**

"WOOOOOOO!" Sig was waving his gun around as I sped the Gila Stomper out of the metalhead nest. "Yeah baby! I love the smell of burnt metalhead!" I grinned at him through my goggles and he nudged me, "That's good practice for when shit hits the fan...and trust me, it's coming."

I lifted my goggles onto my head. "What's Damas got to do with Haven City, Sig?" I pried, wondering about Sig and his spy days.

His smile fell and he looked away. "None of your business."

Daxter leaned forward between us, "What was all that spying you did, huh?"

"Let's just say Damas lost a little something in the city, and he wanted me to find it." He lifted his eyebrows, "What do you care, man? Haven folk are a bunch of weaklings. You know that!" I swerved around a wild leaper and he cursed. "They'd already lost the war before it started. Luckily, Damas has a plan to make sure we all survive."

I was taken aback. Now this was a war of "us versus them"? Haven versus Spargus and only one would come out alive? "You're playing with people's lives!"

Sig snarled. "Why not?! They played with mine." He looked out at the desert, "Survival of the fittest, baby. I suggest you get with the program and be on the winning side."

"And which side is that?"

"The one on top of the pile," Sig said, "Unfortunately, it's going to be a _big_ pile..."

Daxter swung the Peacemaker around, "Yeah a big pile of...should I cock this?"

"Hmph". I floored the gas. "So now what?"

"Just keep your nose clean and stay sharp." Sig started scoping out more metalhead beasts. "I'll tell ya when the action's coming."

I sighed, wondering if there'd be a point where I wouldn't be able to be on both team Spargus and team Haven. I wouldn't choose; if it came down to it, I'd choose both. I could definitely do this back and forth thing...I had to if I wanted both cities to survive this rapture.

After hunting some enormous metalhead beasts, and doing an artifact-related task with Sig, Damas requested that I return to his palace. I always enjoyed rumbling with Sig, but knowing Damas had handpicked a task for me to complete made me feel important, like I mattered in his cause. I _did_ matter in his cause. But he needed to know that I fight not only for Spargus but for Haven as well.

I entered Damas's throne room to see Nica arguing with him. Daxter eyed me as we both exited the elevator.

"They're coming and they're going to destroy us," Nica placed her hands on her hips, "We can protect the city but it won't be enough, Damas."

"It will be enough." He hissed, his violet eyes glaring, "Our defenses have been tested to the limits and our warriors are the best trained. It is more than enough, child!"

"You can be so ignorant sometimes!" She growled, running her hands through her short black hair, "The walls _cannot_ protect us forever! We can't _ignore_ the outside!"

Damas straightened up and crossed his arms. "I am aware of that. We will deal with it all when the time comes. But for now, my concern is only for _my_ city, _my_ warriors, _my_ people." He stood firm. "I appreciate your comments and concern. You are dismissed, Nica."

Nica inhaled sharply. She spun around and trudged toward the elevator we emerged from. She caught our eyes staring and her face softened. "Hey guys." She tried to pass us but I grabbed her bicep.

"You alright, Neek?" I said quietly to her.

"We can talk about it later." She shook her head. "Damas thinks we're strong enough to survive this and outlive Haven...we're not."

I swallowed hard at her ominous words. But I nodded and let go of her arm. She smiled sadly and entered the elevator.

"She's right you know," I said boldly as I walked towards Damas, and Daxter ran for the water, "There is no time to separate ourselves from other people. In the fight for the world, we are all one team."

Damas's eyes flickered to mine, and his posture relaxed. He sat down on the stone steps of his magnificent throne. "Keeping people alive out here, keeping them full of hope...it can be daunting." He looked down at his armored lap.

I approached the steps and sat down beside him. "I'd say you've made a good life here."

"You too must make a life, Jak." He looked at me sternly, "Take your destiny into _your_ own hands. Look..." He scooped up some loose sand and let it trickle into the stream, "Sand cannot keep a shape by itself, but add water and it becomes malleable. Fate can be such, if you add the right element."

"Eco." I realized. I had been an eco channeler since as far back as I could remember, and at one point it became a part of my actual body and soul, altering my fate.

"Hmm," Damas grinned at me. "Our minds think alike," He rose to his feet. "My monks say the world is coming to an end, but I am a survivor. I say we live long after this world dies!" I admired his energy; this is what made him a memorable, respected king.

"Be ready," Damas continued, "You are shaping up to be one of my finest warriors, and I'll need you for the trials ahead." I bowed my head in honor and he turned away from me. "I mustn't lose you, like I lost my son."

I gasped. I was learning something very personal about him, and I never expected him to be someone that bares his soul. "You had a child?"

"Long ago." He walked up to his throne. "Much has been sacrificed in this war so that others could live." He sat down, suddenly looking tired. "Anyway, it matters not. We're having serious trouble with marauders lately. I want you to take a vehicle and hunt down their warrior patrols," He leaned forward as Daxter scrambled onto my shoulder, "Go, and make war your own!"

I bowed respectfully again and jogged toward the elevator. I understood why Damas put his people and his city first, but Nica was right- he would need the support of Haven. If not during the war, then at least afterward. Maybe I could convince him to make amends with Haven City, especially now that Baron Praxis was gone and Ashelin was in charge.

But first, I had some marauders to hunt.

**JDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJ**

_Darla_.

Keira hung up the phone with Jak, her hands twisting around each other nervously. "I think we should've told him."

I groaned for the millionth time, bending myself over a chair. "It's just- ooooooh-better if he doesn't have any shit on his mind while he's doing missions for- aaaaah- everyone..."

"Darla, he's _always_ going to have shit on his mind and missions to complete!" She rubbed my back as the contraction passed, "I understand you don't want him to be distracted, but this is his _kid_ we're talking about."

I growled in pain, my demon's black beady eyes taking over briefly as a quick cramp ached in my abdomen. It was fast but extremely painful and I snarled. "Okay you want to know the real reason I didn't want to tell him?! I'll tell you, I don't care!" I stood up and paced, trying to make the pain go away. "I had a vision. All of us here in New Haven are about to be separated from the Port by a KG-metalhead barricade, so even if I had told him, he would've been ambushed on his way here!" I let out a cry and bent over my couch then.

Keira blinked at me. "You've got to be kidding me." She rubbed her forehead. "Is the barricade up yet?"

I nodded, resting my cheek on the cushion. "Jinx is going to find it- _OW_...- during an ammo run. He'll tell Torn, and the guys are going to have to blast their way through. But you know how time and my visions work- I can meddle with some, but not with all. If I had told Torn ahead of time about the barricade, he would've made Jak stay. And Jak was supposed to go."

Keira nodded, swallowing my information. "This is the best way then." She came over to the couch. "I'm worried about Maichael being over there, separated from us. Especially because I am alone with you and you're in labor."

She helped me up and I rolled my eyes. "I'm not _that_ bad!"

"I didn't mean it like that!" She laughed and then guided me to my bedroom, "I meant I'm nervous about all of this- you're about to be a mom. And we don't have any help. I don't want to mess anything up."

We entered my room and I pulled out a duffel bag from under the bed as Keira pulled some clothes out of my closet, "Healer Kenzo is going to be delivering, you just have to hold my hand."

"But what if-"

"-Keira." I said-turned-moaned as another contraction rolled by. "I need you to be there with me. There's no one else I want in that delivery room right now. Other than Jak of course."

Keira clutched my clothes to her breast. "Of course, D. Of course I'm going to be there. The entire time."

"Good," She handed me the clothes and I stuffed them into my bag, "Besides, if you're going to be its godmother, I want my baby to meet its Aunt Keira before anyone."

Keira gasped, startling me. "Aunt Keira? Godmother? OH DARLA!" She threw her arms around my neck and I made an "oomph" sound. "Sorry!" She let go of me, tears glistening in her eyes and I grinned at her. She rubbed my belly. "I can't believe it, thank you."

I turned to zip my bag and handed it to her. "Keira, you have been there for me since the day I met you back in Sandover Village. You have supported me and been that shoulder to cry on since we'd reunited again. You've been my best friend through all of this, and you made the time Jak was gone bearable. I would be nothing without your friendship."

She sobbed into my duffle bag and I shook my head at her. Another contraction was coming on though and we really needed to get going. I grabbed her shoulders. "Okay stop crying, you can enjoy this later, I need to _get this kid out of me!_"

She wiped her face briskly. "YES! Okay, let's go have a baby!"

We headed out of my room and towards the door. My demon was whispering odd things to me, making me wary of what was to come. Maybe it was just my subconscious saying things out of fear. She kept saying, **_He'll never come back_**, and **_They're all going to die_**. I tried to shake my head of her voice but I couldn't help but hear her.

_**Darla...you and I will live long after this world dies.**_

I blinked fast, swallowing a terrified lump in my throat, and left my home, my fate at destiny's mercy.

**JDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJ**

_Jak_.

Samos called over my communicator with urgency in his voice. He insisted that I needed to come back to Haven, go to the forest to the artifact that had risen from the lake, and figure out what answers the ruins may hold. Samos believed it might reveal what they Day Star really was. Against Damas's wishes, Daxter and I left for Haven, more eager to return than we were the first time.

The war had worsened since my couple-days absence. Metalheads swarmed, more so than KG bots. It seemed they were multiplying faster, becoming the stronger of the two allies. Getting to the forest was difficult, but Dax and I were quick.

I climbed to the top of the Precursor ruins, in the center of the platform sat what looked like a telescope, similar to that of one my uncle in Sandover owned. Dax and I glanced at each other and I walked up to it.

"_Approach the Astro-Viewer, time warrior,_" the oracle boomed from within the ruins, "_Behold the seed of our destruction..._"

I peered into the telescope- or Astro-Viewer- and saw the dark, starry universe, despite it being a bright afternoon. In my line of sight was a vibrant, violet star, which I had come to know all my life as a night star, something I had seen always. The Astro-Viewer zoomed in then, revealing that the star wasn't actually what I thought...it was a Dark Maker.

"What...what?!" Daxter shook my shoulder, "Let me see, let me see! Is she hot?!"

"_We Precursors built many worlds across the universe, shaping them with eco into something good,_" the oracle continued, "_But we were foolish. The Dark Makers were once Precursors, but their exposure to dark eco changed them. They began twisting worlds, conquering life, and dark ages ensued. Now the Dark ones have found your world and are coming to claim it for themselves_."

"Well that can ruin your whole day!" Dax exclaimed, shaking his head beside me.

"I think this one's bigger than _both_ of us." I said, figuratively _and_ literally as I saw the spidery form through the telescope.

"_There is but one hope left. You will find a planetary defense system, hidden deep at the core of the planet. There is still a chance to save your world. I hope you are more successful than many planets whose fate has already been closed_."

The oracle silenced and the lens of the Astro-Viewer shut. Dax and I looked at each other wide-eyed.

"What does it mean, Jak?" Dax asked, and I headed down the tower.

"We've got to get to the catacombs," I said to him, "_Before_ that ship reaches the planet."

Upon getting to the bottom of the tower, I whipped out my jet board and started riding across the lake, Dax hanging on at my feet. My communicator began buzzing and I pressed the speaker button.

"_Jak,_" Torn's hoarse voice crackled through, "_We've got a problem, we need you to get to the Port now._"

"What's the situation?" I ran a frustrated hand through my hair.

"_There's a new barricade dividing the city between the Port and Freedom League HQ again,_" He yelled something inaudible to someone who must've been near him. "_Jak you there?_"

"Yeah, still here. What's it look like?"

"_Metalheads are guarding the barricade. It's big- bigger than the first one. But we need to get through; we have fighters and friends on that side._" The communicator crackled, the signal weak. "_Ash is stuck on the other side, and I think Darla is still over there too._"

"Shit," Dax and I looked at each other again. My friends, my girl and my baby were all stuck on the other side. I could only pray they were safe from harm. "What do we need to do?"

"_We may have found a way to reach Freedom HQ. Jinx here has a plan._" Torn mumbled something to who I assume was Jinx. "_He says we can destroy the barricade, but we need you to help us strategize, and initiate execution._"

"You can count on us." I said, hanging up the communicator.

"Us? Why is it always 'us'?!" Daxter exclaimed, gripping the edge of the jet board as I swerved out of Haven Forest.

"No time for jokes, Dax." I scolded. "Our girl is on the other side and we need to make sure there's no separation between Underground HQ and Freedom League." He frowned and I squatted down to pat his head. "Everyone relies on us. It's always been this way. It will probably always _be_ this way."

"I know that." Dax said solemnly. "I'm _proud_ of that. But why can't we lay back for a moment, catch a break?"

Speeding through what used to be the agricultural sector, I swiveled passed metalheads running around us. "I'll tell you what," I said, "After we've won the war, saved the planet, and you become an uncle, we'll take a vacation with the girls. A little trip or something. How's that sound?"

Daxter's ears perked up. "Somewhere beachy preferably? I need to see some skin."

I chuckled and grinned at my best friend. "Anywhere you want to go, I'm with you, brother."

**JDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJ**

_Darla_.

72 hours. 72 hours of contractions, pain, and medicine that wouldn't work. Keira was with me every step of the way, but the baby just wasn't ready. Kenzo said they'd pump me with both yellow and red eco today, but unfortunately, since the metalheads and KG separated us from the Port, yellow eco could not be delivered. Red eco was all he could give me, and this would get my body and the baby in the right state and position.

"You'll be at 10 centimeters once we get that red eco flowing." Kenzo said to me as night fell on the third day. I was bent over the hospital bed, red glowing liquid flowing through a tube into the vain in my forearm.

"I want this kid _out_, Doc." I groaned while Keira massaged my shoulders. "It's _killing_ me."

"Unfortunately that's not far from the truth," Kenzo looked at my paperwork at the foot of the bed. "Your organs are working overtime to keep you alive. Anyone else would need emergency surgery, but lucky for you, the dark eco in you helps with the healing process."

"Why won't it come out?!" I yelped, pain wracking my back and abdomen.

"As you already know, your baby is an eco channeler. It's just absorbing all the eco we pump into you, therefore reversing the effects we want."

I glowered over my shoulder at Keira, "Remind me why I fell in love with Jak again?"

She laughed, half nervous, half amused. "Once the baby is here, you'll forget all about this."

There was a rap at the door, and a female nurse entered. "How much red is left, Healer Kenzo?"

Kenzo approached the IV and looked at the eco bag. "After just this one, we should be good to go."

"Go?" I asked, suddenly feeling panicked, "As in, me giving _birth_, good to go?!"

Kenzo lifted an eyebrow and smiled, "Having second thoughts about 'getting it out' of you?"

I shook my head. "I just...can't believe it's already time." I stood up and leaned into Keira. "I'm...scared."

Keira rubbed my shoulders reassuringly. "Me too. But you're going to be fine. You both are. You're going to make a great mother."

My heart began pounding, the monitor's beeping increasing in speed. Kenzo chuckled as he looked at the monitor, and he turned to leave the room. "I'll be back in a little while. Try and get some rest for now...you'll need it." He closed the door behind him, the nurse on his tail.

"For fuck's sake." I turned and sat down on the hospital bed, Keira sitting beside me. "This kid is going to be a world of trouble." Unfortunately I was only trying to get my mind off of everything by making jokes.

Keira looked at me with her bright emerald eyes. "I know you're nervous and afraid of the unknown...we all are, really." She looked down at her hands. "But you're going to make it through this. I have a gut feeling. And you know something else?" She tilted her head at me.

"What's that?" I placed my hand over hers.

"This kid is going to be _so_ loved." She smiled emotionally. "I really think the baby is going to shed some light on the dark situations. It's going to give hope to the lot of us. It gives _me_ hope at least...that we're going to make it. And a new world will be born."

"Thank you," I smiled. I rested my head on her shoulder. "Thank you."

My darker half was wrong. I knew she was. We would all live long after this world died.

I suddenly felt ready.

**JDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJ**

**A/N:**

I know the wait was long, but we are hitting a climax of this story! I hope you're all ready. There's a lot of action, romance-and, not to mention, cuteness- on the way.

Stay tuned.

_~RyJones_


	11. The Light Ahead

**A/N:**

So excited to write; this story from MTLH Part 1 up to what I intend on being the third installment, has been thought-out and years in the making. I can't wait to hit certain parts and share them with you all.

Be prepared.

**JDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJ**

_Jak_.

"Hey Jakie-boy! Long time no see!"

Jinx was sitting at the bar, smoking a fat cigar as usual. I shook his hand and he offered a cigar to me, but I declined. He shrugged, blowing smoke into Dax's face.

Daxter sputtered and coughed, "HEY!"

Torn tapped on the bar behind me impatiently, "Sorry, boys. No time for pleasantries. Tell Jak what you did, Jinx."

"Alright, so you know the blast bots you've seen around? Well...I _captured_ one!" Jinx took another puff and grinned proudly. I lifted an eyebrow and as I opened my mouth to ask how he did such a thing, he held up a hand. "Don't ask. I'll show you the scars later."

I protested this, "I'd rather not-"

"-_Anyhow_, I've rigged that baby with a remote control and even more explosives than the standard package."

"Why am I not surprised?" Daxter crossed his arms and Jinx blew smoke in his face again.

"Jak," Torn stepped up beside me, gesturing to the hologram table, "Link up to the remote and use the hologram to direct that bot into the KG area." We headed over to the holo-projection, which lit up as we approached, "If you can get the blast bot close enough to the Freedom League border and blow it up, it should punch a hole in the defensive line and allow us to hook up with our comrades."

"Let's do it. Remote please?" I zoomed out of the holo-map with my hand and gave myself ample arial viewing to direct the blast bot to the correct location. Jinx popped the remote into my hand, which resembled something like a gaming joystick, and I began pressing its buttons.

It was much harder than I thought it'd be; trying to dispose of KG and metalheads, while simultaneously avoiding crushing Freedom Fighters...it made me sweat profusely. Daxter was cheering me on, loudly in my ear, as if this were only a game. But it did improve my morale, and therefore I was able to reach the ambush awaiting near the defensive line.

"Alright, Jakie, this is it," Jinx murmured, leaning forward and ashing his cigar on the edge of the map, "You know how people always tell ya never to press the big red button?"

"Um...I...suppose...?"

"Well, I want you to press it once you pass that wave of metalheads there."

I waited til the precise moment he described, and as Jinx shouted "NOW!", I jabbed the big red button with my thumb.

On the hologram we watched in awe as the barricade and everything around it exploded into smithereens. Some of our men and women were blown back, and in a moment of panic I was afraid I'd killed them. But as the smoke cleared, they all began to rise, holding their heads and helping each other to their feet.

Daxter, Torn and I all glared at Jinx. He blinked and shrugged, holding his hands up defensively. "Hey, don't look at me like that. It's my _job_ to blow shit sky high. Not to protect those in the line o' fire."

Torn shook his head, took the remote from me and clapped me hard on the back. "Great job, Jak." He headed over to the bar, reached over it and pulled up a large whiskey bottle and four glasses. "We can link up with the northern front now." After pouring the glasses and passing them around to us, he exited out of the holo-map and went into his contact files. "I'll get on the horn to HQ and give them the good news!" He held up his glass, and the rest of us followed in pursuit. "You're the man, Jak! _You_ are the man!"

We tossed back our drinks- Daxter one second behind because I had to pour his down his throat since his hands were too tiny to hold the glasses Torn had snatched up. Torn wiped his mouth on the back of his sleeve and took our glasses back from us. I watched him walk over to the bar, noticing there was less- for lack of a better word- bounce in his step than usual. His ruby dreadlocks were frizzier than normal, and he had bags in his eyes I hadn't noticed before. This war was wearing him down...much more than the war against Praxis had.

"So what's the next step?" I asked him, trying to stop thinking about his problems, "I'm sure Samos told you about the Astro-Viewer by now. What's our next move?"

Torn clanged the glasses into the sink behind the bar noisily. Jinx and I glanced at each other briefly. The commander sighed and turned to us, slinking back over.

"KG and metalhead retaliation..." He began pacing. "Errol's back from the dead. Veger is a crazed lunatic, but that's nothing new. Now Dark Makers..." He paused to look from Dax on my shoulder, then to me, then to Jinx. "Frankly I think we need some time to strategize our next move. But first thing's first- we need to get to HQ stat."

I couldn't agree more. That was our safest place to be, the safest base to have that "time" to strategize. But..."What about here? The Fighters should be heading back from the Industrial Zone soon-"

"-Don't worry, boys, I'll hold down the fort!" Jinx stepped forward, smoothing his gold hair back, "Literally, figuratively, and everything in-between."

Torn looked relieved, but he tilted his head in worry, "Are you sure you'll be able to handle it? This isn't exactly what you normally do..."

"I've got all the booze I need, plenty of stogies in my pocket and a hot Fighter babe eyeing me up over there in that booth." He looked behind me and waved, and I turned to see a small group of Fighters sitting for a drink at the back of the bar. One of them was a gorgeous redhead with aqua eyes. I shot a look at Jinx.

Torn narrowed his eyes, "I'm serious Jinx. You need to be a leader here."

Jinx waved a hand at his comment. "You know I'm just kidding man. I'll keep an eye on things while you guys link up with New Haven base."

"No dicking around?"

"No dicking around. Sir no sir!" Jinx winked and saluted Torn, then me. I made eye contact with Torn and nodded to let him know it'd be fine to leave Jinx in charge. For a little while.

"Alright." Torn agreed, "Jak, let's snag some zoomers and head out."

**JDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJ**

"IT'S ABOUT TIME YOU TWO GOT HERE!"

Samos's angelic voice shattered my eardrums as soon as Daxter and I followed Torn into the meeting room.

The whole crew was waiting for us. All except Keira and Darla...

Before I could ask about them, Pecker stomped his feet on the holo-projector, "What took you so long?!"

I blinked at him, feeling my dark eco rumble a bit. "Sorry, we only had _a war_ in the way."

Ashelin came over to me, looking down at her hands awkwardly but still standing proud. It had been the first time I'd seen her since my accident in the agricultural section of the city. "Great work, Jak. Listen, I want to apologize for sending you on that mission-"

"-Forget about it." I snapped accidentally. I was never good with conversations like this. "I went because I _wanted_ to. I've got my own interests in this."

Samos grunted and stepped between us, "Well, what we know right now is there's a huge dark planet builder bearing down on us all. How much time we have...no-one can guess." The bird that always sat on his log fluttered about the room, briefly distracting me. Samos went on, "If it _is_ rogue Precursor technology, then the only way to destroy it is with more Precursor technology, and that lies at the bottom of the catacombs."

Maichael, brown hair in a disarray, crossed his arms, gripping a notebook in his hands. "Also, according to Keira's notes here, the large number of eco crystals being moved about can mean only one thing." He looked around at each of us, trying to form his thought into words. "...Someone is trying to..._awaken_ vast Precursor technology."

My mind whirled with the issues Torn listed back in the Port. "I think Veger's behind it. Or Errol." I scratched my goatee. "Or maybe-"

"-Ooh, ooh!" Dax interrupted, jumping onto the hologram, "Wait til you hear about how Jak and I blasted through the barricade! So there I was, facing a whole brood of slobbering metalheads when all of a sudden-"

**_BOOM_**.

The entire building shook, silencing our group, and an alarm began to blare obnoxiously, echoing throughout the meeting room. I looked at Ashelin wide-eyed and Maichael dropped the notebook, startled.

"Uh oh." Pecker muttered, suddenly looking terrified.

A Freedom Fighter, youthful and decked out in his electric blue armor uniform, dashed into the room. "Governor Ashelin!" His voice quaked, "It looks like a large scale assault! Multiple targets inbound!"

Ashelin turned to me, "You up for some action, Jak?"

"Look who you're talking to," I thumbed my chest armor and grinned at everyone in the room, trying to show them we had nothing to worry about. My eyes landed on Daxter, and as our eyes met his fear-covered face shaped into sheer determination. I gestured for him to get onto my shoulder and he scrambled up. "Let's rock-n-roll, Dax!"

**JDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJ**

_Darla_.

I wasn't sure which was scarier:

The fact that New Haven was under attack right outside the hospital.

The fact that Keira and I had no idea what was happening to our friends out there.

Or the fact that my baby and I were both dying.

Kenzo had been brilliant- he talked with me during the entire infant-extraction surgery, spreading blue eco over my torso and working his hands to make sure the baby would pass through correctly. I was calm as he talked about his career to distract me from the strange sensations in my body. He was saying how back when he was in healer school, women were still giving birth naturally or through Caesarean, and though the process was much quicker, it was not safe in Haven's poor conditions. Women died during childbirth back in those days, he said. He said that, today, both me and my baby would make it out of this alive and healthy.

But...then why was everyone shouting? Why couldn't I hear the heart monitor, or see anything but blinding light, or feel Keira's hand in mine anymore?

I was tired. I was so, so tired. Why was I so tired?

"Keira..." I said. I _thought_ I said it...did I say her name? Did she hear me?

Why wasn't my baby crying? Was it even out yet? It had been hours, it _had_ to be out...

_I can't see anything._

_Why can't I see? This damn light..._

I was suddenly aware that I couldn't sense my demon's voice. This made me panic- though all these years I'd wished she never existed, she'd become a part of me I'd been used to. She _was_ me. Her absence felt very heavy and I was overcome with loneliness, as silly as it sounded. She was the reason I fought so hard to stay good, stay strong in the hell we'd lived through. Where had she gone?

I felt something in my body as the blinding light turned black- the dark eco, still there, bubbling up and without my logical, conscious state of mind, it teared through my flesh and my monster unleashed in the blackness. I was relieved, my soul free and my body numb, feeling as though maybe I had actually died and moved on to the next life.

_**You thought you could get rid of me that easily, didn't you.**_

I breathed heartily. There she was, making a statement, never a question. My body was floating in the black. Would I be a monster here in the next life? The idea wasn't generally appealing, but it gave me clarity to think about it.

...The light again. A blue-white light, similar to the one that blinded me earlier. What the hell _is_ that?

In the distance, a shiny light.

It moved and took many shapes, like a Precursor, little electric bolts zapping out of it as if it were made of eco.

Eco? Could it be?

My brain...I don't think it was working anymore.

Because the next thing I heard was the spirit-whispers of the Precursors:

"_Welcome to your new life. We have seen your homecoming since the creation of the Brink, and we have awaited your arrival with open arms._"

Then...nothing.

**JDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJ**

I felt pain, but it was bearable. My body was humming, the dark eco mixing with green to heal me. I knew the feeling all too well to be concerned with what it was. The sound around me was muffled because I hadn't awoken yet, and my mind began to work and realize what had happened.

I opened my eyes.

Keira was beside me, brushing a stray hair off of my face. Her eyes were staring straight into mine, saucer-sized and unreadable. She rose to her feet gently, adjusting her suspenders on her shoulders.

"I'll get the nurse!"

_That's right...the hospital._ I was in the hospital. I nodded and she headed for the door. I rested against the pillow.

But then..."Keira, the baby-?!" My voice sounded hoarse, even though I felt like I yelled.

Keira paused in the doorway. She turned around slowly and my heart began to pound, expecting the worst.

"Let's...get you checked out," Keira said, smiling calmly, "And then we can talk, okay?" She exited.

My lips parted in surprise and fear. I wasn't sure what she meant. I assumed if...if something had happened...she would've told me right then and there. But where was my baby? I sat up straight and my hands flew to my stomach, which had receded back, much flatter than when I had left for surgery. I was practically back to normal. But I felt empty- and I _was_...my baby was no longer inside the protection of my belly. It felt wrong in a way...as much as I wanted it here in my arms, I felt that it was safer to keep the baby inside of me.

I took two shaky breaths and sat against the pillow again. The heart monitor was starting to give me anxiety, so I leaned over my bed and unplugged it. I patiently twiddled my thumbs.

Keira return with an old, male nurse who carried a chart and a heavy build, and was much slower than my friend. He creaked into the room ever so slowly and I almost asked him to "get on with it". Keira stood beside me, her face unchanged. The nurse cleared his throat.

"We're looking much better Ms. Acheron-"

"Darla. Please." I interrupted with a polite smile as to not sound rude.

"Yes. How are you feeling?" He came over with a stethoscope and some other tools to prod me with before I could actually decipher what I felt.

I waited for him to look me over. "My body aches. I'm fine. Where's my baby?" I asked as he peered into my ears with a flashlight and used a number of tools to check my vitals.

"We'll have time for that after your checked and-"

"-I want to know now." I said, much less polite now.

The old man looked down his nose at me through his wide glasses. He stood up and grunted. "You're fine. Alright then." He pulled out the chart and scribbled some notes. "Do you remember anything from the surgery right before you...blacked out?"

I closed my eyes. All I could see was the blue-white light, the one that blinded me so much. I told him about it and he wrote about it on paper. I glanced up at Keira and she nodded at me to indicate it was okay. I trusted her.

"And what about the sack? What do you remember about the sack removal?" He asked.

_The sack?_ "Um..." I said quietly. I thought. I remembered being rolled into the delivery room. I remembered the numbing process, and Kenzo and his healers charging my skin with blue eco. I remember feeling the tugging sensation, the tingling as the eco worked over my body as Kenzo explained how the baby would phase through the electric charge, slowly and painlessly. But seeing the actual sack...? "I can't remember any part of that." I said, feeling as though maybe I was supposed to be awake for that special moment.

The nurse nodded and scribbled more. "That is fine. Many mothers forget seeing the sack. I only ask because...well...I'm sure your friend here can explain it to you, as she was the one who understood what had happened."

"But..." I said, panic tightening in my throat. "The baby?"

"Healthy. Different, but healthy."

I thought I might faint from relief. "You couldn't have _lead_ the conversation with that?!"

The old man shrugged. "Why would you assume your child died?"

I blinked. "Because I thought I...I saw, felt when..." I wasn't making sense to them. I thought that I felt I died. I felt like everything was wrong, all wrong, with me and the baby. Why did I feel all this pain and sureness if I hadn't died and the baby was okay?

As if she were reading my mind, Keira put her hand on my shoulder. "I will tell her everything else, thank you."

The nurse grunted again and nodded. He turned to go but I needed to know..."When can I see-?"

"-I will bring the cart around shortly with your child inside of it, alive and well. Don't worry." The nurse didn't stop to say this and kept walking until he was out the door.

Keira sat down and relaxed in the chair beside me on my left, and I couldn't understand _how_ while I was so jittery inside. "Please tell me what happened!"

Keira shook her head. "It's always an adventure with you, D."

I rolled my eyes. "For fuck's sake..."

"It's okay, really," She pat my hand. "So, starting from the beginning...as you saw, the surgery was going normal, according to plan. But as they started phasing the egg sack through your abdomen, you began coding."

"So I _was_ dying then?" I asked, surprised that the nurse hadn't mentioned this.

Keira grimaced, her eyes remembering. "Sort of...you coded, and they got the sack out quicker so they could start chest compressions...but then you actually turned Dark on the table," I gasped and she rubbed her forehead. "Yeah...and they had to call more people in to...well...strap you to the table before you escaped."

"Holy shit." I groaned and leaned against the bed. "What else?"

"You were struggling against the restraints but you must've tired yourself out after a while because as they began the healing process, you relaxed and...okay, let me pause for a moment." She held up her hands. "I would tell you to sit down for this but you're already sitting. It's nothing bad...just different."

_Different_...just like the nurse said about the baby. "What is it?"

"The sack started glowing." She said, her face full of wonder, "The baby in the sack was glowing, too. Everyone was terrified- you could feel something in the room. It was emitting some kind of power. This brilliant, blue light. Darla, it was the most beautiful thing I had ever seen and feared."

I gulped. "F-_feared?!_"

She grabbed my arm reassuringly, "Not that it was scary! It was just...otherworldly. Unlike anything I'd ever seen...other than a few instances."

"And...?"

She sighed, her big, gorgeous eyes blinking at me. "It was the same unearthly light as the spirit of a Precursor."

I leaned away from her in confusion. "What are you getting at, Keira..."

"You were staring at it- at the sack, I mean. You relaxed and allowed the healers to work and you just looked at the baby in the sack glowing. Eventually, the glow stopped and you passed out." She shrugged. "Your body reverted back a bit later. The nurses began to get the baby out of the sack, with difficulty I must add. It seemed that the sack was tougher than they thought, like the light had been shielding him inside of it."

"What do you think it was?" I processed her words. "Wait...he?"

Her breath hitched and her eyes widened like she'd spoiled some surprise. "Ohmygosh...I wanted you to know when they brought him in..."

I covered my mouth with my hands. _A boy. I have a son. Jak and I have a **son**._ My stomach flipped over and over and I felt my eyes moisten. "I have a boy!"

Keira squealed and we embraced. I buried my face in her shoulder, emotions washing over me. Joy that I had a healthy baby boy. Relief that we both made it out alive, without me killing anyone in the operating room. Sadness that I couldn't share this happiness with Jak...

"Where's Jak?" I asked, pulling back and rubbing my eyes. I gasped remembering the chaos outside. "The city-!"

"I'm going to call him as soon as I know that...everything outside is clear." Keira rubbed my shoulder. "I did _not_ want to call when there was a raging war outside to let him know his girl was in labor. We both know him- he would've left the war and came straight here!"

She was right of course. Who else knew him better besides us and Daxter? "Okay."

"Anyway," She rubbed her hands together, "As for your bouncing, previously _glowing_ baby boy...we've seen Precursors project themselves in this electric, light eco form. That's the _only_ time we've ever seen this light, in its blinding blue glory." She paused. "I will need to talk to Onin and Daddy about it before we confirm anything...but it seems that the Precursors were protecting your son and the light inside of him."

"Why would they do that? Light? As in light eco?" I shook my head. "That's impossible. Beyond impossible. Well, Onin said..." I paused briefly, trying to recall what exactly she had been trying to communicate to me. I remembered her showing me that light that made me hot and cold all over...the very same light that I just witnessed again. But how? "I just don't know how the baby could have...I mean, Jak and I didn't..." My face flushed with heat. "He didn't have his light eco powers yet. During that...time."

Keira blushed too, understanding what I said. She nodded. "It's there, Darla. Whether it was genetic on one or both of your sides, or the Precursors blessed him with it themselves...it was there. They took his blood. They saw it inside of him."

"What about dark eco?"

Keira frowned slightly, her eyes squinting at me. "The dark eco is prominent in him. It flourishes in his veins as much as it does in yours." I wasn't surprised of course. "But we both know you will be able to handle it. And now he has some Light in him as well."

"Why do you think they were protecting him?" I asked, now watching the door waiting for my son to come through it. _My son._ It felt so strange to say it. It didn't feel real yet.

"Maybe they feel they owe Jak. Maybe they know how special your boy is going to be." She smirked at me.

I smiled back...then remembered something. "I heard something before I blacked out. After I turned...it was _them_ I think. I thought maybe I was just losing my mind-"

"What did they say?"

I twirled one of my blonde curls as thought back to the whispers that echoed in my mind. "They said...'_w__elcome to your new life. We have seen your homecoming since the creation of the Brink, and we have awaited your arrival with open_ arms'. I thought they were welcoming me to the other side at first and then I thought maybe they were speaking to the baby. Or maybe both."

"They've been waiting since the 'Brink'? Darla..." Keira stared at me incredulously. "That's...that's the dawn of _time_. The Brink was created before any of us were here." She leaned back in her chair and rubbed her forehead. "This is all so bizarre."

There was a tap at the door and we both looked. A different nurse, a young woman, was standing with a cart and smiling. My heart practically stopped.

_**Oh, here we go...**_

"You ready to see your baby boy, ma'am?" The nurse asked softly, rolling the cart into the room. I looked at Keira, almost as if I needed permission, and she grinned toothily at me. I nodded at the nurse vigorously and she parked the cart beside the bed on my right. She reached into it and pulled out a very tiny bundle wrapped in a violet cloth. I could barely keep my arms still as I reached for the bundle in the nurse's arms.

I pulled him down to me and nestled him against my chest, in the crook of my arm. He was asleep and so warm and so..._tiny_. Of course he was, he was an early-born. But I couldn't fathom how tiny he'd actually _be_ when he finally arrived. His hair was in curly blonde tuffs on his head, bright green frosted about the tips. His little button nose resembled a miniature version of Jak's, and it wrinkled as his blonde eyebrows furred. His bottom lip jutted out in a pout, much like mine often did, practically consuming his top lip. His nose twitched and I ran my first finger over his cheek. I leaned forward and kissed it, inhaling his new-world skin.

"Oh my gosh, D. He looked_ just like him_." Keira whispered. I closed my eyes and sniffed again. "Like how Jak looked as a child."

"Hey, little man," I said to my boy, nuzzling his small face. I felt my emotions rise. "I'm sorry you went through so much trouble to get here."

Keira and I laughed and my boy's eyes pried themselves open. He blinked slowly and I held my breath.

Indigo. His eyes were a vibrant, brilliant _indigo_. They reminded me of-

He began to wail. His eyes squinted and his little wail was weak and helpless and not as loud as I expected it to be. But he was very upset- I could see it as electric purple bolts licked out from his soft skin.

I began to panic. I looked at Keira for help and she put her hands up.

"You're his mother, D," She said with a smirk, "This is all you. You're going to be great."

I looked back down at my boy and started to shush him and pat his bottom. His arms escaped the blanket and he stretched and after a quick moment where his eyes flashed beady black- as mine always do- and back to indigo, his cries began to settle.

_**He's pretty cute...I like him.**_ My demon said. _**I guess he can stick around.**_

His bottom lip quivered and he stared up at me with his large, wet, beautiful eyes. He hiccuped and blinked at me. We locked eyes briefly.

That's when I knew...I had never loved anything in the world as much as him. And I would never love anything else as much as I loved him.

**JDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJ**

_Jak_.

My ears were ringing. I was half awake, half knocked-out, my mind in a dream state.

_..."But he's his father," a familiar voice yelled, "He needs time to mourn!"..._

_...The man groaned under the weight of the vehicle, "You have a habit of leaving people to die, don't you?"...Jak paused for a moment, then said what was true. "You get used to it." Explosions..._

_..."The Light in him is strong, but it will not save you from your own self destruction"..._

_...We have seen your homecoming since the creation of the Brink, and we have awaited your arrival with open arms"..._

My eyes snapped open and I rolled over onto my stomach with a moan. I scrambled to my feet and held my head.

New Haven was a _mess_; bodies of enemies as well as comrades shared the ground. It was quiet now, no more explosions, no more blood curdling screams of civilians as they watched my darker half tear through metalhead and metal bot. Healers were already prepping the injured for transport, and braver citizens were helping one another out. Freedom Fighters were securing New Haven's borders and moving their fallen brethren out of the streets. I turned around, seeing that Daxter was rising to his feet beside me.

"You alright, brother?" I knelt down beside him and allowed him to climb onto his rightful place.

He rubbed ash from his eyes. "That was some crazy bullshit."

I stood, looking up at HQ, where I had passed out in front of its doors. "Where is everyone?"

Daxter pointed his thumb at the door. "They all went up; after Tess and Torn pulled your sleeping corpse out of the line of fire, we saw Veger head inside and I told them to go ahead while I waited for your sorry ass."

I growled. "Veger? Piece. Of. Shit..." I shoved the doors open and stormed toward the elevator.

"Don't lose your cool, man." Dax said warily.

"I'm going to do _a lot_ more than that." I hissed as the elevator ascended.

The doors slid open and Samos nodded in my direction. "Nice moves, my boy. You're the best man we've got to lead an expedition into the catacombs."

Veger was standing at our round table, uninvited and unwelcome. My fists clenched and unclenched in fury as he turned to face me.

"Please, please. Let us not be too hasty." He eyed everyone in the room, from Maichael to Torn and Tess and the others, stopping on Ashelin. "Are you sure you want this dark eco _freak_ contaminating the hallowed halls of our glorious Precursors? I should lead the expedition myself!"

Ash crossed her arms and straightened up. "We're tired of your scheming, Veger."

Veger put his staff in both of his hands."I've got the answer you're looking for. My Precursor monks have given me the knowledge to turn on the planetary defense grid. If you beg me to do so-"

"-The only one who'll be begging is _you_, Veger." I stepped up to the balding fuck, speaking through my gritted teeth. "You, begging for your life when I get you on your knees."

Maichael stepped around the table. "Jak's always gotten us through thick and thin." He nodded at me. "I'm with him."

Samos chimed in, "Here, here!"

Daxter leaned forward from my shoulder to eye Veger up. "You're washed up, Vegan."

The old man grumbled. "Veger! It's _Veger_, you idiot!"

Daxter waved him off. "Whatever."

Ash glanced at me and clasped her hands behind her back. "Count Veger, I hereby dissolve the City Council and strip you of your title, command, and all privileges." She stepped between him and I, looking him dead in the eyes. "Now...get out of my sight."

Veger pulled back in anger. "_What?!_" He shoved her out of the way and I caught her before she stumbled. "How _dare_ you! I offered you mercy, but now you will all _burn_ in the Precursor fires of creation!" He trudged toward the exit and paused before leaving. "I_ swear _it!" He was gone.

Ashelin thanked me for steadying her and she gestured at the hologram map in the center of the table. "That was one hell of an attack wave. We can't continue to repel such large assaults forever." She looked to Torn. "That floating War Factory has _got_ to be shut down. The problem is, the factory is shielded and has gate codes on every access point. Most old KG door ciphers were kept hidden in the main system in the Power Room." She touched Torn's arm. "If you, Tess and Maichael can break into the system, you may be able to unlock the War Factory doors to get inside."

I leaned my palms on the table, "And me?"

"You and I have some things to take care of in New Haven, Jak," Samos tapped the back of my leg with his staff. "The others can handle themselves."

Pecker floated around the projector and landed on one of the control panels. "Onin says the eco grid in the Power Room could help you all, but to open the old power room you must find the junction box in the sewer. Personally, I think you're all crazy to go down there. But, ah...good luck."

Tess frowned at Pecker. "Thanks. So much."

Daxter blew her a kiss across the room. "Don't worry baby, I believe in you."

I turned to Samos. "What is it we need to do tonight?"

"Jak, my boy," He said, glancing around the room. "It appears you are officially a father."

I almost choked on my spit. The room around me grew silent.

Then, an eruption of cheers.

I could barely understand everyone as they approached me, clapping me on the back, throwing arms around my neck, shouting inaudible words on congratulations. A wide grin was painting itself across my face. All I could hear was my own, ecstatic thoughts.

I'm a father.

I'm someone's _dad_.

I have _my own kid_.

A legacy.

A new promise of forever.

A new hope for life.

**JDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJ**

**A/N:**

It's a boy! I had planned this since before I started writing MTLH part one; it was _always_ going to be a boy. Jak and his boy, Daxter's nephew he'll totally ruin...Everything is right in the world!

Except for Jak...it's really not.

More coming soon!

_~RyJones_


	12. Sparks of Life

**A/N:**

And we're back! I always apologize for the long breaks in between (and this one was exceptionally long) but sometimes life gets in the way of hobbies (and I have a lot of hobbies). But I've updated at last and I hope it is everything you hoped it would be!

Chapter 11 awaits.

**JDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJ**

_"Every bone in my body tells me that the answers rest on the shoulders of a young boy."_ -Samos the Green Sage.

**JDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJ**

_Darla_.

My hands were sweating profusely. I held my baby boy close to me because I had been so cold in this unheated room. Why were my hands so sweaty?

_I'm nervous. __Why am I nervous? I shouldn't be nervous._

**_Calm the fuck down, D._**

I sighed. I started getting anxious once Keira left the room to call Samos and see where him and Jak were. I wasn't sure what it was that got me to this point. The idea of seeing Jak was making my stomach flip and my legs jittery and my heart was pounding hard. But why?

I looked into the indigo eyes of my boy. His hands were clasped together and smushed up against his cheeks, and he looked up at me questioningly. My body relaxed for a moment and I kissed his little fists.

"I don't know why." I explained to him. "I shouldn't feel like this. It's _Jak_ for god sake. The love of my life. Well, next to you of course." I smiled at him and he blinked. I leaned my head against the pillow. "But...I _do_ feel like this...like I'm insecure. How can I be insecure? Jak loves me. I love him. We loved you before you were born." My boy blinked again and twisted his fingers together.

Keira came back into the room then. "They should be here any minute." Her smile fell and she crossed her arms. "Do you want to tell me why you look like you're going to faint?"

I exhaled. She knew me so well. "I'm nervous about Jak coming. I'm not sure why."

Keira tilted her head and dragged a chair over to sit beside me. "I don't understand. There's nothing to be nervous about. You two made a beautiful baby together. He's fucking _adorable_."

I shook my head, smirking. "I'm not worried about whether or not my son is cute."

She leaned back in the seat, running a hand through her aqua hair. "So think. What do you feel in your gut?"

"Jak is the most important person in my life. He's the best thing that ever happened to me." I looked down at my boy, whose wide eyes continued to stare up at me. "But he's not just any ordinary man...your father refers to Jak as THE 'champion of all time'. He's the greatest hero the world has ever known..."

"Are you..._intimidated_ by Jak?" Keira asked, lifting an eyebrow. "Because you and I both know you are just as important to the world as he-"

"-No, no!" I waved my hand. "It's not like that. It's just...I don't know. We were brought together by some kind of twisted fate. And until I captured and pumped with dark eco and realized I was psychic...I had no idea of the trials and tests he would face in order to _be_ that champion. I had no idea how important he would be to the world, to us, to...me. We were so young when we arrived in Haven City. I was falling in love with him so quickly...as most teenagers at our age do. And when I had that vision, the first vision where I saw everything there was to see in one go, up to him being taken to Spargus...I realized my role in his life."

Keira's eyes were sad; I could tell she was reflecting on our years here, on our pasts. I did it all the time; ironic, since my brain was wired to see the future. I continued. "Jak told me I was the reason he stayed alive in prison. He tells me things like this, like how I kept him sane in times of insanity; I kept him calm when all he wanted to do was scream. He _relies_ on me. And I don't think about that often...because no matter what he says or thinks about me...Jak is _my_ hero." My eyes watered and I looked down at my little boy. "Jak was the one who saved me all those years ago. Time and time again he saves the world. I look up to him so much. He gives his all to us and for us. In my eyes, he is the greatest man who ever lived. And I was the one who was lucky enough to capture his heart."

"Then what's wrong?" Keira said quietly. "Why are you so nervous about him coming here and seeing your boy?"

I looked up at the ceiling in an attempt to swallow my tears, but they escaped anyway. "Fuck." I wiped them away with the back of my hand. I knew hormones were a huge reason for my overthinking, but I was usually pretty good at controlling myself. "I'm anxious because I just want to give Jak everything he deserves. I would give anything to have him finally stop suffering in this damn city. He takes everything life throws at him and fights his hardest and if I'm the only thing in his life that really brings him hope, then I want to give him the best. He's my hero. And I don't deserve him. And I want our baby to give him the happiness he deserves, bring life to him. It's all I can do to repay him for giving _his_ life for us every day."

Keira leaned forward and held my hand with both of hers. "You're...such an idiot." She laughed softly and I rolled my eyes. "Don't you think Jak would've given up long ago if you weren't the light of his life? Your love is what brings life to him. Your love is what keeps him going. And you've done so much good in your life...you deserve his love, too. Don't ever forget that." She leaned forward and kissed me on the cheek. "You've been through so much the past few days...the past few _years_, really. If anyone deserves to be happy, loved and have hope...it's you." She then kissed the baby's head. "Your child with him is living proof of how strong you both are. Together."

I stared into the bright eyes of my son. Keira was right as usual. I just couldn't help myself when it came to thinking about Jak and the person he has become, the hero that this city never deserved. I just loved him so much.

There was a knock at the door.

**JDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJ**

_Jak_.

"Are you ready you meet your child, my boy?" Samos asked me as we walked down the hall towards Darla's room.

I was walking slowly because I was ready and then I wasn't ready, and then I was eager and then I was hesitant. I didn't know what to feel right now. I had a baby...the love of my life gave me a child. I was so happy, so nervous, so curious. But...I was disappointed I had missed the birth of my baby...and I was so sad that they were born at the worst possible time, in the worst possible place. Of course, when I had voiced this to Samos, he had responded with words of wisdom, explaining that everything happens as it should, that the baby's birth was a moment in time just like any other.

Even so, my world just became so much bigger now that my own flesh and blood had been brought into it...and I was scared I wouldn't be able to protect them.

I never had a father, and Samos was the closest thing to one I ever knew. My uncle had traveled so much, I never had a chance to really know him. I had nothing to reflect on when it came to being a father...I never imagined myself at this point in life. I had been so busy trying to make the world a better place, there was no time to think. Hell, I had only put a ring on Darla not long ago. I wouldn't admit it to anyone other than Samos, but I was scared. Not of being a father, but of not being good enough for Darla or my kid. I wanted to be with them forever, never miss a single thing, be the best I could be. But I missed most of Darla's pregnancy, something a couple is supposed to experience together, enjoy _together_...we'd been apart for so long. We were _always_ apart. And I barely saw Darla now, with the war going on and always losing contact with different sectors of Haven...it was so hard. How was I supposed to be her support system, be her lover and best friend? If I couldn't be around, then I couldn't be any of those things for her, let alone become her _husband_. What if I disappointed her...what if I disappointed my kid? There was nothing in this world I loved more than Darla, and now our baby. I couldn't bear it if they were disappointed in me, or if something happened to them.

I didn't realize I was panting until Samos stopped me outside the door. He looked up at me, adjusting his glasses. "You _are_ ready, Jak. I know."

I shook my head and dragged my hands down my face in frustration. "But what if-"

"-There is no 'what if'," Samos interrupted. "You _will_ be the best father to this child if it kills you. You already are, because you _question_ whether or not you are. That is proof enough." He pat me arm. "Also, you don't think I'll allow you to slack off, do you? Because if being the best father doesn't kill you, I will!"

I chuckled. "Thanks, Samos." Him threatening my life didn't exactly _ease_ the stress...but at least he tried to make me laugh.

He nodded then looked at the door. "A father...I still can't believe you've become a father. _I'm_ a father...not just to Keira, but to you, Daxter and Darla as well. I'm responsible for you, you can't possibly be responsible for another little life!" His eyes gave me a once-over. "And technically speaking, that means I'm a _grandfather_ now." His beady orbs widened at the thought. "Glory be to the Precursors...I never thought I'd see the day where you nincompoops would have _spouses_, let alone children."

I opened my mouth to give him a sarcastic retort, but the sound of my Darla's voice stopped me. She sounded distressed. Samos and I glanced at each other as we listened.

I heard everything she said.

And, if it's possible, I think I fell even more in love with her.

I knocked on the door and stepped inside. The moment I saw her, we locked eyes and her whole demeanor changed from sadness to relief. She looked so tired, heavy dark circles beneath her eyes and her lids heavy. But, damn, if she wasn't the most beautiful thing I'd ever seen...

"Hey," I said lamely, shifting into the room.

"Hey." She smiled at me and bit her bottom lip.

Keira got to her feet and greeted us. She took her father's hand. "Why don't we give them some privacy for a bit?" I heard Samos begin to protest, but Keira dragged him out the door anyway.

Once the door was shut, I slowly walked over to the side of the bed. The baby was all wrapped up and I couldn't see him or her. I went to sit in the chair Keira had been occupying, but Darla moved over so I would sit beside her on the bed instead. I climbed onto it, never looking away from her face. It was the only thing keeping me calm in this moment.

She leaned over and placed her lips on mine. I took her face in my hands and ran my nose over hers. My stomach twitched like it was the first time I ever kissed her. I hadn't seen her in _days_, not since I had left for Spargus. It was easy when I had missions to distract me, or when I knew she was working or busy with war efforts...but when I was with her and kissing her and smelling her and breathing the same air as her...I forgot all things. Nothing else mattered. Only her.

She tore her mouth away from mine, sliding the little bundle over to me. I held her face another second, stroking my thumbs over her jawline, before taking the baby in my arms.

"Jak." Darla said quietly. Hearing her say my name practically stopped my heart. "Meet your son."

"My...my son?" I looked down at the baby, this child, my child, my boy. He had blonde curls covering his small head, with green tint spread about, just like my hair. His eyes, holy...wow. They were indigo. So purple and so blue all at the same time. Where did he get those beautiful eyes? I couldn't believe he was here, in my arms, existing in the world...and he was _mine_. We made this. My vision blurred and I rubbed my eyes so I could see him better. But every time my eyes cleared, they just got blurry again.

I sniffed. "He looks just like you, Darla." I wiped my eyes again.

She laughed resting her head on my shoulder. "I think he looks just like you. He has your nose. Your whole face, actually. He's a mini you."

"Maybe so, but he's as beautiful as you are." I pried my eyes away from him for a moment to look at my love. "Thank you." I kissed her. "Thank you, thank you."

She put a hand on my cheek. "Don't thank me. You did your part, too."

"Not just for him." I looked back down at my boy. My perfect boy who was looking right at me like he knew me. I leaned forward and smelled his head, then kissed it. I could sit in that position for hours, having him so close to me in my arms. I looked back at Darla. "I'm thanking you for everything. Without you, I would never be where I am today. I wouldn't be as happy as I am today." I took her hand, the one wearing the ring I gave her. "You have loved me unconditionally and selflessly, even when I was at my worst. I never thought, in my life, that I would ever feel the way you make me feel. I'm thanking you for crashing your boat on Sentinel beach and transforming my life."

Darla smirked and looked away, her face flushed red, but I grabbed her chin and forced her to look at me. I gazed into the eyes of the best thing that ever walked into my life. "You're my soulmate and my best friend. Without you, I don't know where I would be. You've saved me _so many times_, Darla...you've blessed me with so much. You gave me a reason to keep going." I kissed her forehead. "You're my hero."

A tear rolled over her cheek and I kissed it away. It's what she needed to hear...but it was also the truest words I had ever spoken. She tilted her chin up to kiss me again.

The baby hiccuped, making the two of us jump. We looked down as he stretched and yawned and I moved to kiss him, but then little electric bolts flicked out from his skin and his eyes flashed black. I gasped and looked at Darla.

She smiled sheepishly. "We have some things to talk about..."

**JDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJ**

"This is a lot." I said staring at the baby laying on my legs. "Isn't the Brink the beginning of time?"

Darla shrugged. "That's what Keira said. I'm not sure what any of it means. All I know is that he has dark eco in him, just like us, but he also has light eco...just like you. And the Precursors seem to have been waiting a long, _long_ time for him. Well, that's what I _heard_ them say."

"But when you and I..." I bit my lip and glanced at my son. "You know..." I didn't want to talk about sex in front of my baby. I needed to at least pretend like I was prepared to be a father. "I hadn't received my light powers yet back then. So how did he get them?"

Darla shook her head. "Every time I feel like things make sense, they don't. I'm learning not to question anything anymore and just go with it."

Little violet electric bolts shivered over the baby's skin, vibrating against my thighs. It didn't hurt, not anymore at least. It felt like little shocks, and I'd gotten used to them after the millionth one he administered. He stared up at the light on the ceiling, unresponsive to the electricity he was releasing. It was an interesting sight to see, almost a spectacle, like something I would watch for hours. It was different to watch something that caused Darla and I so much pain be something completely painless to our son.

"He's incredible." I said, shaking my head. "He's just amazing, isn't he?"

Darla grinned and put her hand on the baby's belly. Violet bolts licked her fingertips, but she didn't pull away. "He'll be a handful. And his Uncle Dax will be of no use when it comes to trouble." She rolled her eyes. "Where is he anyway?"

"They only allowed two people to visit at a time. I would've brought Daxter instead of Samos, but I needed some wise advice and motivation from someone older than the rocks he talks about."

Darla laughed and kissed my cheek. "Make sure he visits later, then. I want him to see his nephew."

A nurse tapped on the door and opened it. "I hope I'm not interrupting," She smiled at us and Darla gestured for her to come inside. She walked over to us and reached for the baby, but I leaned away. The nurse reached for him politely. "It's alright, I just have to take him for a few tests."

I clutched my son. I didn't want him to go anywhere Darla and I weren't. I looked at my girl and she nodded at me. "It's fine, Jak. It's all routine."

I locked eyes with my boy. I could swear he lifted an eyebrow at me, as if he were questioning Darla's decision, but that was probably just my imagination.

I was about to hand him over when the nurse said, "Oh! Hang on." And reached into her pockets. "I almost forgot..." She pulled out a set of rubber gloves and slid them on. "This little guy likes to spark up sometimes. Can't be too careful!"

I don't know why, but this made me laugh out loud as she took the baby from my arms. "That's my boy." I said proudly.

Darla and the nurse laughed as she placed my boy into the cart. She looked at his chart, "No name yet?"

I looked at D and she fidgeted uncomfortably. "We hadn't given it much thought, really."

The nurse placed the chart back and began to roll our child away. "That's perfectly alright, dear. There's been so much happening with this war...it's hard to focus on the positives like bringing new life into the world." She smiled down at the baby. "We'll just call him Baby Boy Sparky for now, how about that?"

"Sparky," Darla laughed. "That's fine."

The nurse nodded and shut the door as she exited.

I pulled Darla onto my lap. "We make good-looking babies."

She grinned down at me, wrapping her arms around my neck. "If Sparky ends up being anything like his father, he'll not only be good-looking, but he'll be an incredible man as well."

She leaned down and kissed me hard. I tangled my hand in her hair and wound my arm around her waist, soaking up every bit of her I could. Who knew when I'd be whisked away to another mission? I had _nightmares_ about my communicator going off...whenever I had the chance to sleep.

Darla kissed down my jaw and neck, biting my ear briefly. I felt my inner demon rumbling in the back of my head. "I can't wait to get you home." I said unintentionally, but also completely intentionally.

She sighed and brought her mouth back to mine. "Remind me to have a babysitter on speed dial so we can catch up on all of...this." She grazed my lips with hers, looking at me with sultry eyes. I growled and hungrily devoured her mouth again.

Her heart monitor started beeping faster and its incessancy made us both laugh. She rolled off me, rested against the pillow and I leaned my head on hers.

"I love you." I said, taking her hand in mine.

"I love you, Jak." Her thumb drew circles on my wrist.

I kissed the top of her head. "I want to make sure we're married before the war is over. I don't want to wait to start our lives as one unit. Especially now that we have Sparky."

I felt her nod. "There's nothing I want more than that."

"I just want to go home." I said, my voice cracking, not really knowing what I meant as the words came out. I felt like they were choked up in my throat, and it made my chest ache.

I yearned for something, that's what it felt like- a yearning. A want and need to be somewhere that wasn't here, somewhere that was really home. Haven City wasn't home anymore. I wanted home to be the way Sandover Village felt...somewhere I could both have a family _and_ be a family. Where I could live a life full of adventure, without fear and pain. Where I could be the best person I could be, never needing to prove my worth. Because, for once, I'd earned the life I lived.

Darla looked forward, her expression unreadable. "I do too."

I glanced at her sideways, because I don't think she'd actually heard me. Her blue eyes were all distant and strange, like when she has a vision. She blinked out of it almost instantly, turned her head to me and smiled tiredly.

"You know how I always know everything?" She asked quietly, "Like I'm practically a real life know-it-all?"

My eyebrows furred and I laughed. "Yes?"

"Trust me when I say there will be a day we're finally at peace."

I rolled my eyes at her. "When we're dead, you mean?"

She busted out laughing and shook her head. She gazed up at me through her long eyelashes and held my hand. "Oh, Jak." She sighed and it made me want to kiss her again. Instead I waited patiently while her smile fell, then returned, then fell again until finally she looked back at me. "I know I'm cryptic and shit when it comes to my visions and the future and time. I have to be. But I need you to know that you will get everything you want and deserve out of life. It won't always be like this." She waved her hand, gesturing to the curtained window, referring to the war outside. "We'll get the lives we worked our asses off for. In due time. I've seen it."

I smiled at her. "You saw all of that in less than five seconds?" It sounded more skeptical than a question.

She shook her head. "Nah, after I had Sparky and woke up from surgery, I've been having thousands of visions nonstop rushing through my head. Like the future is finally catching up with me post-pregnancy."

She was amazing to me. Blew me away, like always. "I wish I could see what you see. You're like a superhero."

She shrugged and pecked me on the lips. "Something like that. Is Sparky starting to grow on you? I'm starting to love that nickname."

And with that, we were already done talking about her visions. Some day, I'd get her to tell me all the things she knew.

**JDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJ**

After my son was returned to Darla's arms, the three of us had fallen asleep for a while. It was probably the best nap I ever had until my communicator's buzzing woke us up.

Darla nudged me with her elbow and I stirred. "Hmm?"

I felt her hand slide into my pocket and goosebumps rose from my skin. She pulled out my communicator and turned on the speaker.

"It's Darla." I heard her say as I rubbed my eyes.

"_Oh...OH! Darla, hey honey, congrats on the baby!_" I heard Torn's voice crackle through, "_I've got Daxter and_ _Tess and Ash with me too, they say congratulations!_" We heard commotion in the background, presumably our friends. "_Man, I can't believe you two have a kid now. Time flies when you're in a war._"

I touched my waking son's little fist and smiled at Darla, who grinned at the phone. She looked more tired than before. "Thanks, Torn. I have Jak here, do you need him?"

"_Oh, uh, yeah._" He cleared his throat. "_I really hate to do this to you guys-_"

"-No, _no_.." I groaned in annoyance, digging the heels of my palms into my eye sockets.

"_It's important Jak, otherwise I wouldn't have called, especially not tonight._"

I took the communicator from Darla and snuggled closer to her. "Lay it on me."

"_We got the cypher from the power station. It helped us decode the gate key for the main KG war factory. We can get inside now, and we need our best people on the raid-_"

"_Oh, gee...I wonder who that might be?_" Daxter's voice screeched sarcastically through the speaker, briefly startling my boy.

"_Well there's is a good chance that factory is doing more than just making death bots!_" Torn spat, I assumed at Dax. "_And I wanna know who's behind it all. How are so many Death Bots being made? Where are they getting the supplies and the eco? Something about this doesn't seem right._"

I sat up straight. This wasn't a bullshit mission this time. We were getting to the bottom of things, at long last. "Yeah, right into the hornet's nest. This is gonna be fun!"

I heard Daxter groan. "_Yeah, remind me when to laugh._"

"_This war is getting down to the nitty-gritty, Jak._" Torn continued, "_If we want the upper hand, we've got to get up there now. Are you in?_"

Darla and I made eye contact. She was nodding, indicating I should go. And for a moment I wanted to; getting into the war factory could really give us an edge. But then I looked down at my son and that ache in my chest to be far away came back. It made me want to stay here where I knew my girl and my kid were safe next to me. I wouldn't have to miss out on being a new dad.

But if I wanted little Sparky to grow up in a safer world, I needed to go. And my encouraging wife-to-be's frantic nodding only told me I had no choice but to do this.

"I'm in." I said, both confidently and reluctantly.

"_Great. Just come back over to New Haven HQ and we'll get you and Daxter a Hellcat._" Torn responded. "_Listen, Jak. There's something else we found..._"

D and I glanced at one another. I blinked. "What's that?"

"_At the power station, it seems that Vin managed to clone his mind and dump it into the eco grid before he passed away during the war against Praxis._" Torn paused. "_So, in a way, part of him is alive for eternity._"

"How so-?"

"_I have no fucking clue, alright? He tried to explain some mumbo-jumbo to us and shit doesn't make sense but basically we've got a robot Vin in Haven City's main power system. It's creepy as hell, but we have Vin- or at least a clone of his brain- somewhat living again._"

"_He's like a zombie back from the dead or something!_" Daxter shouted, then proceeded to make undead-like sounds in the background until there was shuffling and a shout.

"_Stop it you idiot, it's just his mind, he's not back from the dead!_" Torn yelled as Daxter cursed at him. "_You can be such a moron sometimes, you know that?!_"

"I'll be over soon." I said over the commotion before ending the call. I rested my head against Darla's and sighed, breathing in her hair.

She kissed my forehead, then passed Sparky over to me. I took his tiny, warm little self and brought him close to my face, breathing him in too. He gurgled, made a strange little grunt, and then little violet sparks lapped at my cheek. I held still, allowing to feel what was natural to my son. This was who he was, who he'd grow to be, and I wouldn't be walking around in rubber gloves; I was already proud of who he was.

He blinked his indigo eyes at me and my breath hitched. It was so hard to leave the two of them...harder than ever before. But Darla then placed a hand on my arm, rubbing it gently and I looked at her.

"I'll send Keira and Samos in so they can keep you company." I pursed my lips. "And I'll come back when I can, as soon as possible. I promise." I whispered quietly to both of them, wincing as another spark flicked my cheek. I inhaled my boy's skin one more time, pecked his head, then handed him to Darla.

"I know." She said confidently, bringing me some clarity. She took my chin in her free hand and brought my mouth to hers. She kissed me, long and hard, leaving me breathless by the end of it. She pulled back and gave me her sexy lopsided smirk. "When I get out of here, and I get back to working and saving lives, you and I have a date. Just us. Okay?"

"Okay." I smiled my best smile for her and rolled off the bed. I adjusted the blankets for her, then leaned forward, kissing my son ten times on his face. I moved to Darla, tilted her face to mine, then kissed it ten times as well. She laughed until I muffled it with my mouth. I looked deep into her eyes as I told her "I love you, both of you, more than my own life", just so she would really know I meant it. I knew, once Darla and I reunited a long time ago, that I couldn't live in a world where she didn't exist. And now I couldn't live in a world without my boy.

I stood up straight, rolled my shoulders and headed for the door. I opened it and looked back once more at my whole world. I knew now that in order to keep them alive, keep everyone alive, I needed to finish this fight, with us on the winning side. I was more confident than ever now that I had the ability to get us over the finish line.

Darla and I smiled at each other, each expressing our own, silent emotions. Then, I slid through the doorway and closed the door behind me.

It was ironic how every time I said I'd come back for Darla, something always got in the way.

**JDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJ**

**A/N:**

To be continued in chapter 12! I think you all know what comes next...can't wait to write about it.

_~RyJones_


	13. Strength and Silence

**A/N:**

Back again! The fight with Errol is one of my favorite missions in game, and this was one of my favorite chapters to write! I hope you enjoy.

Onward with the story.

* * *

**JDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJ**

_Darla_.

I know where he might be. But he has been missing for over a week.

I was currently at home, in our apartment in New Haven, standing in the nursery and changing my son's diaper when I had a vision. It had to be some kind of clue. Ever since he fought with Errol a week ago, I'd been seeing little flickers of Jak behind my eyelids, little blips of where he could be. But I wasn't totally sure.

I had come home from the hospital with my son two days after Jak left for the war factory. The morning after he'd gone, I got the call that HQ had lost communications with him just before the factory was completely obliterated in the sky. I kept calm, holding onto little Sparky for comfort, and I have been waiting patiently for someone to give me good news since then. I knew he wasn't dead, of course. I knew. But waiting and not knowing if he's in pain or scared or even coming back at all made me lose sleep. He promised he'd come back to us and I had to believe him, despite his past decisions, and possible future decisions.

Despite all I knew, I just couldn't relax. I couldn't eat. Keira had been spending nights with me after work, which really helped. Sparky was a good sleeper, so I was able to at least not worry about him. During the days, Tess would come with Onin to keep me company. I don't know why Onin came with her, but she always cleansed my negative aura and made the house feel like home, even without Jak.

This recent vision I just had showed Jak in the desert. I carried my baby over to the rocking chair and sat down to analyze what it meant. Jak loved being in the desert city...I had seen that in visions before his banishment. He loved Spargus so much that he almost stayed. But I also knew the violet-eyed man needed him, kept him there, and Jak was very fond of him. As he should be, considering who the man really was to him.

I looked down at my son, who blinked his enormous indigo eyes at me, a tiny smirk playing on his lips. I kissed his head. "Little man." I said lovingly. He blinked again and I tilted my head, staring into his eyes curiously. Those eyes...they were a vibrant cross between Jak's and mine, but I wondered if the deep purple in them were from-

The scar on my shoulder blade pulsated briefly. My heart jolted in my chest and my head spun as a harsher vision entered my brain.

It was in first person, and I was holding my son who appeared to be a couple years old. We were staring up at a huge television screen, watching some type of violent sport. It was kind of blurry, and I couldn't tell what it was, but I could feel that the vision version of me was slightly panicked, despite appearing calm on the outside. My son's head was resting on my shoulder and he played with a medallion that was resting on my bosom. Vision me looked to the left, seeing Ashelin filing her nails, glancing up every so often at the screen, wincing whenever something exploded or made a loud sound. To the right sat Daxter and Jak's friend Nica, running a hand through her black-lobbed hair. She looked down at her lap, her shorts exposing a large tattoo on her thigh. Vision-me squinted to see what the tattoo was, and I could make out a name...it looked like Samson or Stormon or...Sparxon. When the thought of that last name crossed my present mind, I had an ache in my chest; it _felt_ like Sparxon. Vision me knew that name well, but I wasn't sure why. The tattooed name Sparxon was curved like an arch over what looked like the Freedom League symbol- the two silver swords crossing through a shield with a golden sash across it, red and blue accents adorning the sides.

Suddenly vision-me's attention was directed back to the television screen as another explosion erupted the sound system. Ashelin and Nica rose to their feet, shouting something I couldn't understand at the image before us. My son began to cry and I was snapped out of the vision by his real life wails.

I hopped to my feet, shushing him and rocking him in my arms, trying to calm him. I adjusted his tiny form so that his head was resting on my chest. He quieted quickly, curling his little fists against my breasts. I looked at us in the mirror over his changing table, staring at how small he really was in my arms...it must be painful to be that tiny.

There was a rap at the door and it cracked open. One of my favorite people in the whole world peeped his head inside and, for a moment, I felt everything in the world was alright.

"Maichael." I said quietly as to not startle my son.

He slid into the room, grinning lopsidedly. "Hey sweetheart." He ran both hands over his shaggy brown hair and stared at the little boy in my arms. "I'd ask if I could steal some snuggle-time, but Jak Jr. looks _so_ fucking comfortable in your arms right now."

"You know I'd offer him up. I need a nap." I smiled as he approached and kissed the baby's cheek, then mine.

"How are you doing, D?" He asked, tilting his head like a puppy. "I know it's hard without Jak. He'll come back, he always does."

I lifted an eyebrow. "_I_ know that, but how do _you_ know that? Usually you are far from 'team Jak' whenever he's gone."

Maichael frowned at me like I'd insulted him. "Just because I get angry that he's not here doesn't mean I don't have respect for him. He's one of my closest friends, and he's not wasting time being gone. He's always off saving the world." He put a hand on my shoulder. "I used to get so damn pissed in the past, but until I saw the shit he goes through just to protect his friends and family, I thought he was some arrogant cocky lowlife."

"Yeah, I know. I tried to tell you otherwise." I said scoldingly.

Maichael rolled his eyes. "I love you, and you know that's the reason I was so overbearing. You'd been through enough already. But now that I know him and I have seen his life unfold, I feel more confident in him. And anyway, if you didn't already know Jak was probably fine, you wouldn't be as calm as you are. So that helps ease my mind."

I chuckled quietly and laid my now sleeping son in his crib. Maichael came up next to me and looked down at my boy. "Any name for him yet?"

I thought briefly. "Not yet."

Maichael rested his arms on the crib. "When all this shit is done, Keira is going to give me a million babies."

I stifled a laugh. "Oh yeah?"

Maichael shrugged and turned away from the crib. "To be honest, with all the sex we have, I'm shocked I haven't knocked her up yet."

I lifted an eyebrow at him and shook my head as we exited the nursery. Sometimes he forgot Keira was my sister, and I was very protective of her. "Are you and Keira ready to be parents?"

"Hell no." Maichael said as we walked over to the couch. "But I love her. So damn much. And I want us to have a huge family and see her cute little pregnant pixie ass waddling around our apartment. I want to build a life." We plopped onto our seats. "But...it feels so far away, ya know?"

I nodded. "I won't lie to you, Maichael. It's not exactly just around the corner."

He sighed, leaning back against the couch. "Nothing's ever easy." He looked at me sadly. "But that hasn't stopped you from making it work with Jak. I envy your strength."

I shook my head. "We have no choice but to be strong. You take what life throws at you- war and loss, or love and a family. You take what it gives you, and you make what you can with it." I folded my arms over my stomach. "I may be psychic, but it doesn't prepare me nearly enough for what life gives me. Our child was unexpected, and I had visions of him not long before I found out I was pregnant. Life doesn't have a set schedule. That's why we have no choice but to be strong for one another, and love as best as we can."

Maichael smirked at me. "Do you always have to be so philosophical?"

I shrugged and smirked back, "It's who I am."

Maichael's communicator rang and he rolled on his side, reaching into the back pocket of his cargo pants. He slid it out of his back pocket and held it to his ear.

"Go for Kazzi." Maichael said, using his lame new sign-on, sign-off. Ever since he received a higher rank in Freedom League, he'd influenced the new recruits to only refer to him by his last name. I guess it was to intimidate them or something. He was such a child sometimes.

His eyebrows furred and he sat up. "Well he's okay, isn't he?" A pause. He scratched his head. "Well, I don't want to send any recruits over there. They might need strength in soldiers over strength in numbers. Can I have Fredee Dumont, Sparxon Castello and Helena Vaughn?" Another pause, and my heart skipped at the mention of the second name. He nodded. "Good, have Vaughn lead the team. And make sure Jak's our first priority over helping Spargus City. We won't win this war without him." He hung up the communicator and stood, and I stood with him.

"What was that about?" I asked.

"Spargus is under attack by Dark Makers. Big ones." Maichael opened his hands for emphasis and shook his head. "And according to one of the king's monks who contacted HQ, Jak had taken a portal to Spargus just after the war factory collapsed. Him and Daxter were in pretty bad shape when they got there."

I was taken aback. "Are they okay? Why did he go to Spargus?" I couldn't help but feel a pang of hurt...how did he end up there? Why didn't he take a portal back to headquarters?

Maichael shrugged. "He's better now, and prepping for war. I sent three of my fighters upon the king's request; one of which- Castello- is a citizen of both Haven _and_ Spargus. He's there now, and Damas said Jak and Sparxon needed some Haven back-up. As for why Jak is there in the first place..." He frowned, probably guessing how I was feeling. "Your guess is as good as mine."

The hurt faded quickly and I let it go. He had to have a good reason for going there, of course. There had to be a reason why he didn't call after being MIA for a week. It sounded like Spargus needed him more than we did at the moment. But...I wish he could've just let me know that he was okay. I couldn't help feeling the way I did, considering he almost didn't come back the first time. I felt guilty for feeling that way, but sometimes you just can't help how you feel.

I was suddenly tired. And hungry. "Where's Keira and Onin?"

Maichael stuck a thumb over his shoulder. "Keira took Onin home and then went to get groceries."

I nodded, glad to hear there would be food soon. I guess knowing Jak was okay made my body stop being so afraid and nervous and sad. Being slightly angry made all the rest of my emotions fall away.

My son started to cry then. I glanced at Maichael, and his eyes widened with hope. "Can I?" He asked.

I smirked and nodded. "There's a bottle ready for him on the counter if he's hungry. Would it be alright if...I went for a walk?"

Maichael headed for the nursery. "Not at all. Just be careful while the Freedom Fighters are patrolling. We're still in a war."

As soon as he disappeared into the baby's room, I slipped on my sneakers and sprinted out the door.

**_Hurry. I need out._**

I ran down the hallway towards the window at the end of it, the blinding sun shining on the carpeted floor. I slid open the glass pane and climbed on the sill.

_**Freedom.**_

I leapt out of the window, completely shredding my normal skin, setting my demon free.

**JDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJ**

_Jak_. - _One week ago._

At first, I didn't recognize him. But when he opened his prosthetic, metal jaws to speak, I knew exactly who was fucking behind this.

Errol.

That _sadistic_ bastard.

The twisted Baron's lapdog, who we thought was dead and recently realized wasn't. In place, a cyborg so far from human it was disgusting. He looked like a disaster, pieces of skin and metal blended into a deformed creature from hell.

His robotic voice was tinny and deep when he spotted me entering the room. "I've found some new friends to help me conquer this puny little planet."

I crossed my arms and shook my head. "What's _wrong_ with you? You're talking to the Dark Makers!" What did he think was going to happen?

He gave me a grimy smile. "It seems my digital self can communicate with these poor tortured minds quite well. Oh, they're just like you and me, Jak." I grimaced as he said this. "Well..._me,_ at least. They want a home, someone to call a friend, destruction of all light eco! They've volunteered to help me put this hopeless planet out of its misery." He laughed maniacally...and metallically.

Daxter rolled his eyes from my shoulder. "Another 'dark versus light eco' debate? Dude, Jak and I have already done that song and dance. You need a new motive for being pissed off."

"You're in for a big surprise, Errol." I said, rolling my shoulders, my gun shifting against my back. "The Dark Makers don't play nicely with others. Just ask the metalheads."

"I've been given the chance to wield a power even the Precursors could not control." Errol snapped. "Don't fret. You won't live to see what I turn this little world into. Maybe a rock, or a floating puddle of slag, or nothing at all. Complete oblivion! So hard to choose..."

Dark eco bolts zapped out from my skin and I pulled my blaster mod out. "I won't let you do this!"

Errol came at me from where he stood, lunging with his robotic claws. I ducked out of the way, only to roll into a KG bot that had entered the room. In fact, several bots were emerging from all hallways leading to the room we were in, and my stomach flipped. I popped a bullet into the bot behind me, and it crumpled to the ground. I turned back, seeing other KGs surrounding us.

Errol cackled. "You stand no chance, Jak! Luck won't save you this time."

I cocked my gun. "I don't need luck to kick your ass. At least my strength comes from real muscle, and a real heart. Not some cold, metal, _fake_-"

He lunged again.

**JDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJ **

"Damn!" I clenched my fists as blood dripped over my eyebrow into my eye. I watched as Errol took off in an old KG Hellcat. "He got away!"

Daxter shook his head. "See ya later, mech-a-nator!" He glanced at me warily. "We'll get him eventually, pal."

Suddenly, the war factory began to fall away...to the ground, thousands of feet below us. The floor began to shake and I stumbled around.

Daxter wrapped his arms around my neck. "Jak, the sky is falling!"

As the floor beneath my feet began to crumble, I ran. Chunks of metal beams and ceiling were crashing down around us while I jumped and leapt over holes forming in the floor. I ran as fast as I could to a working portal ahead of me, panting and praying that it was set to lead us somewhere safe.

Then, there was pain. And my face was on the floor. And Daxter was gone from my shoulder. And the portal was flickering, losing power.

More blood dripped over my eyes. "D-Dax..." I groaned, picking my head up weakly and looking around slowly. That's when I saw him...or part of him...beneath a metal beam. Just his arm, sticking out from under it, and he wasn't moving. "Daxter!" My voice croaked as my sight began to dim. I pulled myself out from under the rubble that had collapsed onto me. _Don't lose consciousness now...he needs you_. I mentally convinced myself.

I hoisted the beam off of my unconscious friend with a grunt, and scooped him up into my arms. I clutched Dax to my chest and ran the rest of the way to the portal with tunnel vision clouding my eyes. I felt pain, everywhere, and I knew I was going to pass out before we made it to the portal. _Keep going_...I gritted my teeth as if it would help me stay awake. I staggered forward, tripping over debris and finally reached our flickering escape.

I carelessly dove into it, allowing darkness to swallow me whole.

The next thing I remember, I woke up screaming.

Lights were blindingly whizzing past my eyes. I kept coming in and out of consciousness, screaming the entire ride to wherever I was being taken. Horrible, searing pain was coming from my gut, and I felt the pressure of hands on several parts of my body. I could hear voices of people around me and I rolled side to side, unable to get into any healing position.

"Is he going to be alright?!" I heard a familiar voice yell...Nica's, I thought.

"I cannot tell by looking at him." A deeper voice boomed, the male's vibrato humming in my chest. "The problem is not on the outside; it is _within_ him!"

"We have to hurry! I'll get King Dam- _DAXTER?!_" Nica screamed then, making my head ring. "Oh my god, _Daxter!_"

I couldn't understand her anymore, and all that was left were the shouts of people surrounding me.

"Out of the way!"

"Move, move, move!"

"He has to make it, His Majesty needs him for the war!"

Nica returned to my side, pressing her fingers to my neck, feeling my pulse. "DO. NOT. LET. HIM. DIE!" She hissed threateningly.

"I said out of the way! I cannot work like this!"

"I need more green eco!"

"THE DARK MAKERS ARE COMING!"

I cried out the entire way to our destination, until something was stabbed into my arm, and all of the pain was blissfully taken away.

I moaned and shook my head back and forth, trying to shake the drowsiness from this medicine. I could feel my monster half trying to claw his way out, and I was thankful for my light eco willing him to cease his attempts. I peered down at my stomach mid-moan, seeing an enormous metal object sticking out from the center of it, and I thought I was going to be sick. Luckily, the anesthetic took over quickly and I was unconscious yet again.

I eventually came to, recognizing the rust colored stone walls of the Spargus recovery room Daxter and I had lived in while staying in the city. I scooted up in my bed slowly, feeling soreness in my abs and a cramp in my left wrist. I glanced over at one of the lounge chairs beside my bed, and my clothes, armor, gun and jet board sat upon it. A single window was off to my right, near a small hammock, where Daxter used to sleep. But he wasn't in it now. Panic rose in my throat and I sat up straighter.

So much had happened in the last few minutes...Hours?...Days? It felt like seconds had passed since I had leapt into the portal. Where was Daxter, and what happened to us? I remembered going through the portal, waking up on a gurney and being rushed somewhere...

I flung the sheet off my body and looked down at my bare stomach, gasping.

The size of the gash was _remarkable_. Though it had begun to heal nicely, pink scar tissue already forming over the stitches, the wound was a sight to behold. I don't know how long I had been out, or in recovery, but I could see that even though the stitches had been removed, the scar would remain for the rest of my life. It was almost straight and diagonal, beginning just under my left peck and stopping right above my right hip bone. It crossed over where I had previously healed from having a tube of green eco inserted months before, and that area had obviously been restitched and healed again.

I traced my finger along the scar. Half of me felt appalled, disgusted, angered that I would bear such an ugly reminder of my unsuccessful fight with Errol. For a brief moment, self-pity washed over me because, forever, I would have a constant reminder of not being able to stop him, and _just barely_ saving mine and Daxter's lives. When it came to the world, "saving" was easy. But when it came to protecting my own ass, it was like I couldn't prevent the danger.

The other half of me felt pride that I've gone through so much, and survived so much. Years of torture, pain, beatings, accidents...fights- with others and with myself. I survived each time and this was proof that I'd done it again. I had saved _both_ our asses, even if it was "just barely". I ran my fingers over the scar again, feeling a bit better. For a battle wound, it did look pretty fucking cool. Darla was going to have my head though...

"Darla." I said to myself, thinking I should find a way to contact her once I found Dax. I grimaced as I reached over to the chair with my stuff on it, grabbing my communicator. I pressed the power button, but there was nothing. "Shit." I said. It obviously hadn't been plugged in in days. I tossed it back onto my pile of things. If I only I knew how long it had been since Dax and I got here, or how to contact HQ...Darla was probably worried sick.

I slid out of bed, stretching my tight muscles, rolling my cramped wrist around until it cracked. I then pulled all my gear on, as gently as possible when it came to pulling my shirt over my head, snapping my armor into place. I packed the rest of my things, then headed out of the door into the hallway.

_First things first...find Daxter_. I thought to myself. I looked left, then right, then decided on going left towards the infirmary. From the fear in Nica's voice, it sounded like Dax was in bad shape when we got here. I swallowed hard, feeling my heart start to pound as I thought the worst.

"Jak! Jak!"

I spun around to the sound of her voice. Nica came rushing toward me, flinging her arms around my neck. I winced in pain and unintentionally cried out, but wrapped my arms around her waist, reciprocating relief. She pulled back and looked at me apologetically, flinching in empathy, her blue eyes puffy and red like she had been crying.

"Sorry, I'm just so happy to see you awake. You have no idea how happy I am to see you right now." She tossed her black hair to the side. It had grown since I'd seen her last.

I squeezed my arms reassuringly before releasing her. "I'm okay. I have a lot of questions."

She nodded, "I'm sure you do. I have answers. I was on my way to see Daxter today, so we'll walk and talk." She took my hand in hers and we continued down the busy halls.

"How long has it been since we arrived?" I asked her, my heart thudding with every step. Daxter was alive- she had just confirmed it. I just needed to slow my heart.

"Um, I think today makes four days." She squeezed my hand, her teeth tugging on her bottom lip. "I don't know how much you remember, but you came tumbling through Damas's throne room portal with a giant metal beam sticking out from your stomach."

"I remember seeing it briefly when I was in and out of it, yeah." I said as a monk shoved past me in a hurry. "I don't remember how it got there, or when. I was crushed by rubble but when I saw Daxter, I helped him out and then ran for the portal."

"Well, I'm assuming when you were crushed is how it happened." She made a face at the thought. "You were probably in shock and the adrenaline was enough to get you up and moving in order to save yourself and Dax. You're so strong, Jak. Stronger than you know."

I swallowed hard. "Is Daxter alright?"

She hesitated before answering and instantly I was nervous. We turned down a hall to our right- the infirmary wing- and she stopped walking. She looked down at the floor. Then up at me. Then at the floor again.

I took her other hand in mine. "Neek, what is it..."

She pursed her lips. "His body was crushed when you brought him through. Broken bones, bruises, blood...he was a _mess_, Jak." Her voice cracked when she said my name, and her eyes began to well up. "He looks like...a mess. And he hasn't woken up. Not once."

I dropped her hands. "So...what...he's in a coma or something?"

Nica crossed her arms. "The monks are working on it...but it would seem so."

My hand flew to my heart. I felt as though I had been crushed by the rubble again, but ten times as worse. "Will he ever wake up?"

Nica shrugged, allowing tears to stream down her face. "Maybe."

I clutched my chest. I thought I might be having a heart attack. I hadn't felt like this since...since I had come back to Haven and realized the mistake I made, when I saw Darla was pregnant and all I had missed. It was our biggest fight and I thought I had lost her.

This...this was just like that.

My best friend in the universe, my brother, the only thing constant and stable in my whole life...Daxter was in a deep- possibly permanent- sleep because of a terrible accident. He might not wake up. The one person in my life I needed above all others, and whom I loved just as much as Darla and now my son. I don't think there was ever a time I was without him. He got me through everything..._everything_. How could I possibly live without him? How could I possibly go save the world if he wasn't on my shoulder, cheering me on, motivating me to do the right thing?

I felt my body quiver. _What the fuck am I supposed to do now?_

Nica must've seen my reaction, because she quickly wiped her tears away and grabbed my hand. "Come on, we need to go see him now."

I silently followed her down the hall past several rooms. We finally stopped at one on the left side, and she guided me into it.

There he was. It was hard to believe the furry, broken, crumpled disaster lying on the bed was my best friend. At first I felt confused, that this couldn't possibly be Daxter. It didn't even _look_ like Daxter. But as I was brought closer to his small form, I was more and more convinced that it really was him. Hooked up to all these machines, it was hard to even see what damage had and hadn't been done to him. He was just...a mess. Just as Nica described.

I collapsed into the chair Neek had pulled up beside the bed for me. She pulled one over for herself and placed her hand on my arm. "I'm sorry Jak."

My world was caving in. My whole world. I didn't feel right. I felt twisted and broken and numb all at once. I felt like if I opened my mouth, even for a moment, I might just die. A long time ago, I had finally let my guard down; I had walls in me that I had built my entire life, and after Daxter had freed me from prison, the walls fell away. I finally felt that I could really speak out and have a purpose in the world. I didn't need to hide who I was or hide myself in general. I was stronger than ever. But now, those walls were building themselves back up. I could feel the young boy in me concealing himself, trying to find protection and comfort and safety in the tiny hole I was crammed into. I parted my lips to speak to Nica...but not a sound came out.

Only silence.

I couldn't speak...not because I didn't want to. But because I just...couldn't. I could not form the words. It was like I had forgotten what it was to have a voice.

Nica tilted her head in concern. "Jak? Say something."

I opened my mouth again. Nothing. I felt in my throat that there was nothing. No vibrations of vocal chords, no sign of a voice ever having been there in the first place. Just as it had been when I was a mute. Like my brain had shut that part of itself off.

Nica squeezed my arm. "I know you're in shock but you can't...shut down." She shook her head. "Daxter wouldn't want that. He told me how you were before...when him and I were searching for you, he told me you didn't speak. He understood you, first through sign language and then just from being around you so much he could read your every expression. I know how hard and easy that time must've been. But...you can't get back to that place."

I covered my face in my hands. I wasn't sure how I could know how to talk and then not know how to talk. As a child, I had been traumatized by the events that took place before Samos took my younger self to the past. It all unfolded before my eyes as we sent my childhood self back in time, and it explained why I became who I was. But I _knew_ how to speak, I had been doing it for well over three years now. I had only been talking a few minutes ago.

Yet, every time I tried to say something to Nica, I sounded like a deflating balloon.

I put my hand on Daxter's paw. I wished and prayed he knew I was with him, always. I needed him, more than he needed me. He'd wake up. Soon enough, he'd wake up and talk about how "Orange Lightning" could never die, not without a fight. Then he'll make some snarky comment about how I've gained weight since he'd been in a coma, or say something about my hair. And he'd make a cocky statement about how all the nurses here love him or some shit like that. I knew he would wake up, because this wasn't the end of us. If he went down, I went down with him. It couldn't end like this.

I looked at Nica and made a gesture, writing into my palm with my finger.

"You need to write on something?" She blinked at me and I nodded. "Okay hang on..." She got up and rummaged through the drawers at Daxter's bedside. She came up empty handed. She then searched through cabinets on the wall behind us, and hurried back with a pen and notepad. She handed it to me and watched me expectantly as I wrote on the paper.

**I need you to send a message.**

"Of course!" She said. I continued to write.

**My communicator is dead. I need you to contact Torn, tell him that Errol got away, but we shut down the war factory. If it isn't obvious already.**

"Got it. What else?" Nica watched and I kept writing.

**I know Onin says the Precursors and Dark Makers have fought over worlds for as long as time has turned, and that it wouldn't be the first time a planet was lost to them. But tell Torn to tell her and Samos that it's not going to be this planet. We've lasted this long. We've just got to find a way to destroy that thing. The truth lies at the bottom of the catacombs. That's where I need to go.**

"Are you sure, Jak?" Nica said softly. "I don't know if you should be jumping back into shit so soon..."

I shook my head violently and tapped the notepad with my finger. She had to know how important this was.

She sensed my urgency, reluctantly agreeing. "Of course, I'll do this. What about Darla? And your boy?"

I stared at the notepad in my hands. Then I wrote.

**Tell them I am sorry. Tell Darla I need to stay. For Daxter. Spargus needs me, and Daxter needs me, and I need to be here.** I paused writing for a moment. I looked at Nica, my eyes tearing up before I could stop them. She leaned forward, a hopeful look in her eyes that encouraged me to keep going. **Tell them I love them so much and I will come back, just like I promised.**

I tore the paper out of the notepad and folded it up, handing it to Nica. She held it tightly in her hands. "I will get this to them as soon as I can."

I nodded and stood, placing the pad and pen onto my chair. I pointed to her, then pointed to Dax, indicating she _must_ stay with him. I stared down at Daxter, my fallen brother. I had never seen him so helpless, so weak. I had to ensure it wouldn't happen again. I brought my fingertips to my lips, then touched them to his forehead. Swallowing my emotions, I headed for the door.

"Wait." Nica said and I faced her. She rose and snatched up the notepad, scribbling something down. She tore the paper out as she approached me and placed it into my hand. I looked down and read it- it appeared to be an address.

"My husband." Nica said and I looked at her, surprised. She nodded once. "Yes, I'm married. I've been married for over a year now. Daxter's met him once while you guys were here. He's one of Damas's finest warriors, and he fights for Haven as well. Please, let him help you." I began to protest but she held up a hand. "No, Jak. I will not allow you to go to war on your own. Daxter would never forgive us if something happened to you. If he wakes up and you're gone, he won't survive it."

I sighed heavily. I wanted to be alone, to do it all on my own. But Nica was guilting me into taking a substitute partner. She was probably right...in my current state of mind, I should bring someone along that would have my back in case things went south.

I nodded and unconsciously signed the word "name?" to her with my hands, mouthing it in case she didn't understand sign language.

"Sparxon." She said, a ghost of a smile in her voice. There was pride behind his name as she said it. "Find him at that address, and he'll be everything you need him to be. Sparxon is a big fan of yours."

I smiled politely, turning to leave, but I turned back and pulled her to me in an embrace. I pat the back of her hair, and she squeezed her arms around my waist before she let me go.

I signed "thank you", kissed her on the cheek, and with one last regretful glimpse of Daxter, I left to embark on an adventure without my best friend.

**JDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJ**

_Darla_.

**_He's leaving us again._**

"No."

_**Yes.**_

"His message came late, that's all."

**_Yeah...right._**

"Daxter is _really_ hurt. And the Dark Makers...they've begun to attack."

_**Our creators have come, at long last!**_

"Don't start that shit again. Seriously."

My demon and I sighed simultaneously as I stood under the scorching hot water.

I licked my lips. "Maybe I should go to Spargus, go to Jak and help with the war effort there."

_**HAHA! Let me stop you right there, sweetheart. I'm going to give you several reasons why that may be the worst idea you've ever had.**_

"Okay, go ahead. By all means, lay it on me."

_**Well, for starters, our son-**_

"-_My_ son-"

_**Same thing. Bitch. Anyway, we can't leave the kid. He's all we've got. Also, we can't bring him either, because Spargus is in the middle of a raging war. It's not exactly a baby-friendly place to be right now.**_

I nodded. "You have a point. Go on."

**_Another reason not to go is that we'll just distract Jak from whatever he needs to get done. With or without the baby. He's going to want to be by our side, every second. I'm not admitting that I trust the guy with your heart...but I've seen how he gets around you._**

"Is that all you've got?"

**_My final reason: what if Jak doesn't want us there?_**

I shut the water off and snatched my towel from the hook. "How do you mean?"

**_Like, what if he lives a double life? What if, when he's here, he's got one life where it's all about you and the kid and our friends and family and saving Haven City? And then he has a whole different life when he's in Spargus?_**

"What difference would it make?" I stepped out of the shower.

**_None, unless he __likes__ his other life in Spargus. _**My darker self paused as I dried my hair with the towel. I wrapped my torso with it and she continued.**_ Meaning, maybe he prefers to keep his Haven life and his Spargus life separate. A double life. You know?_**

I stared at myself in the mirror and crossed my arms. "I...think?"

**_Darla, you're not getting it. If one of his lives crosses with the other, then shit might get messed up. Things intertwine that shouldn't. What if he resents us for interfering with his Spargus life? What if he wants to be in Spargus right now, and for a while he is happy not thinking about his Haven life?_**

I frowned. "Well...fuck." I growled. She was right. Not that Jak would choose one life over the other...but generally he was always in a constant struggle, a battle within himself and the world around him. He needed some kind of balance and me being in Spargus would just distract him from the things he needed to do.

**_It doesn't matter to me though. I still don't trust that he won't walk away from us. All we have is ourselves and Sparky. Fuck anyone and everyone else._**

"I'd like to think you're wrong, but I can't, because you are my 'think'."

**_You bet your ass I am._**

Maichael tapped at the bathroom door. "Hey, D?" He said through it.

I turned to face the door. "Yeah?"

A beat. "You've _got_ to stop talking to yourself. It's freaking me the fuck out."

**JDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJ**

* * *

**A/N:**

So many things happening at once, so little time before the possible end of Jak's world. How will he do it, and will he do it alone? Will he ever speak again? Will Dax ever awaken? Will Darla start believing her inner most deepest thoughts brought to her by her demon side? And who is Sparxon, really?

Stay tuned to find out, and as always, continue to read &amp; review!

Yours truly,

_~RyJones_


	14. Fight or Flight

**A/N:**

So many mysteries, so little time.

A lot had happened in the month of November; I was involved in a hit-and-run accident resulting in a hospital trip and the death of my beloved car. My grandfather's passing, just after Thanksgiving. Not being able to find a comfortable place in the post-college job search world. I am having a rough time adjusting to this in-between stage of a chapter in my life ending and a new one just beginning.

So, while I wait for this transition, I will focus on this new chapter instead. I poured a bit of my personal struggle into Jak's current struggle, and I am eager to share it with you all.

Again, I appreciate the support and love from my readers, and today I encourage you to do something nice for someone else. Pay it forward, and good things will come your way.

* * *

**JDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJ**

_Jak_.

You know something?

I have _always_ wanted to fly.

Seriously. No joke.

When I was a little kid, I remember reading some illustrated book. I didn't know any of the words, but I remember the pictures very clearly. The story was about a young man who had been in some kind of accident in a science laboratory. The accident resulted in him having abilities people only dreamed of having; he could shoot laser beams out of his hands, turn invisible, and best of all...he could fly. This guy ended up choosing to fight crime and protect his home and city from danger. I wanted to be just like him.

He would effortlessly fly in the sky, fists out in front of him, not a care in the world. The artist who drew him created scenes where the guy would take night flights and have alone time to himself. He would have deep inner thoughts while he would float across the sky. In some pictures, his eyes were closed as he flew, and he had a small smile on his face, as if he lived for this secret he shared with himself. Like flying was the best feeling in the whole damn world, and no one could take that away from him.

How _badly_ I wanted to have that.

I was always distracted while training with Sparxon Castello the past couple days. I felt bad because he was working so hard to prepare for another battle with the Dark Makers headed our way, and I was just lazily getting my ass kicked. I couldn't help but be distracted, though; all I could think about was when I'd visit Daxter, or if he'd ever get to meet his nephew. Or if he'd ever have kids of his own-

"-Jak!" Sparxon was shaking my shoulders, yanking me out of my thoughts. "Do you want to die?"

I made a face at him and signed "What?". I was lucky he knew sign language, otherwise this friendship would have been much more difficult to develop.

He squinted his emerald green eyes at me. "You're so unfocused. I need you to be ready for this. Remember the last fight?"

I rolled my eyes. Of course I remembered. I was working the turrets and shooting the fuck out of Dark Makers coming from the ocean. They attacked from the sea every time, because they knew that was our weakest side. It was the only advantage they had on us. And it was my fault they made it to the sand. I was too distracted by my thoughts, by my current state of mind, and I didn't even try. I lazily shot bullets and didn't pay attention to where their weak spots were. I wasted precious ammo and precious time.

Sparxon had snapped me out of it- okay, he punched me in the face. I wasn't mad at him for it. How could I blame him for needing help I could provide but wouldn't? In fact, I was _happy_ he punched my lights out. I respected him for it. He gave me a piece of his mind, he told me how much he looked up to me as a warrior, but he wouldn't let me fail because of my inner struggles. He told me to wake the fuck up before everyone around me died. So I did.

I bobbed my head up and down, answering his question. I signed that I wanted to go one more time, for real this round.

"Okay. Okay." He nodded, sounding relieved. "I don't want to lose you again." He released my shoulders, rubbing his dark haired head. "Hand-to-hand combat this time."

I understood he meant mentally, he didn't want to lose me again. I'd been taking these little trips out of my mind and into my subconscious, physically doing day by day activities but never quite present. Sparxon _hated_ it when I did that. The first day him and I spent on a mission for Damas, we got into a serious physical altercation. Back then I thought he was just angry I wasn't a good partner, that I was careless with whomever I dragged around. But then I realized he had respect for me, that he cared about me even though we didn't know each other well. Over the past three weeks, I had begun to realize how deep his concern for me really went, and we had developed a serious camaraderie. He reminded me a lot of Daxter, and I took to him very quickly. Sparxon didn't take shit from anyone, and he had my back. He also loved the hell out of Nica, and I loved seeing them together, as much as it made me miss Darla.

As Sparxon and I sparred, I couldn't help my mind wandering to negative places yet again. I didn't let it stop me from fighting hard, but it still lingered like a black cloud waiting to attack me with emotions. I couldn't stop thinking about Daxter. He started to look better on the outside, which I was grateful for. I hated that every time I would visit him, I felt like there was a stranger lying in that bed, like Daxter wasn't really there. God, I hated that. I _hated_ seeing him like that. I hated seeing him and thinking of him not waking up ever again. I hated thinking...how could I live in a world, _rescue_ a world where he didn't exist?

Sparxon had me on my back. We were panting and his brows were low, a bead of sweat sliding down his forehead. He wiped it away with the back of his hand, then reached down to pull me up. I grunted as he pulled my arm and brushed myself off.

"That was better." He said through gasps. "But you're still dead."

I gave him the finger and he laughed. I signed "Beer, on me" and he agreed, clapping his palm on my shoulder.

As we left the training arena, the two of us both kept a sharp eye out for any Dark Makers. They had been sprouting up in random parts of Spargus ever since our first fight with them, each wave bigger than the last. But Spargus civilians were nothing like Haven's people; these desert warriors knew how to take care of themselves. Women and men were armed and ready to fight every second of every day. Children didn't even hide, as much as their parents tried to keep them inside. They were brave in the face of danger, brave against these monsters. Everyone was brave.

Sparxon and I sat in our usual booth at the bar in town. I ordered the most expensive ale- we earned it. Sparxon protested at first, but I gave him a look that told him to shut the hell up and let me do what I wanted.

He sipped his beer when it arrived, and clanked it down onto the table, making me jump slightly. "Listen, Jak. I don't want to come off as an asshole. But I think you should send a letter to Darla. Update her on what's going on. I could even ask Vaughn or Dumont to take it before they head back to Haven."

"You're not being an asshole." I signed. "You're right. I will. I will give it to Helena."

"Good." Sparxon stared at his beer solemnly and tapped the rim of his glass.

I pat the table to get him to look at me. His green eyes darted up. I signed "Thank you".

"It's really nothing, Jak." He responded, shrugging. "It's an honor to be fighting by your side, though I wish it were under better circumstances."

I shook my head. "I mean thank you for being more than just a partner," I signed, "You are a true friend. I have a lot of respect for you. You've been..." I paused signing for a moment so I could think of what I wanted to say. "...good for me. You keep me from spiraling."

Sparxon's face flushed red and he nodded. "Yeah. Of course. No problem, I mean." He ran a hand through his brown locks. "You're a good friend to me too." I made a face at him and he laughed. "No, really. You can't help how you feel, and I don't blame you for that. Before we met, I thought you were indestructible, this fighter who no one stood a chance against." He shrugged. "And you are...but you are also a person. A real person who loves and hates, just like the rest of us."

I was touched by his words. People normally didn't understand any of it. I didn't care that they didn't understand, but when that rare person came along who _did_, it meant the world to me. Sparxon was one of those people.

My communicator erupted in my pocket, and I yanked it out. I clicked the button on and Sparxon answered for me.

"_Jak!_" I heard Seem shout through the speaker, "_Jak, please help us, Errol is attacking the Monk Temple, he wants the secret we have kept concerning the Dark Makers. Please hurry, if he finds what he seeks, it could undo this world!_"

Sparxon and I looked at each other and simultaneously stood. He knew this was our chance...my chance to fight Errol again. Sparxon knew how desperately I needed to avenge my comatose brother. He knew any chance I had to kill Errol needed to be taken.

"We're coming now!" He said with determination set in his eyes.

**JDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJ**

Sparxon and I managed to fight our way through the temple and reach the oracle room where I had first received my light eco abilities. Seem was on an upper level somewhere on the opposite side of this location, and the closest we managed to get was to the oracle before we needed to think of a plan.

"Well, now what damnit?!" Sparxon spat, his hands on his knees while he tried to recover from our run. "This looks like a dead end." He did a double-take when he saw the enormous oracle statue. "What the hell is this goober-eyed thing?"

I chuckled through gasps. Daxter and him might as well have been brothers. I straightened up and gestured to the oracle, signing to Sparxon what it was and what it could do. I went over to the platform I usually stepped on when the oracle requested I approach it, and began signing how I got my light powers. But I was interrupted and startled by the boom of the oracle's voice.

"_Once again, you stand before me, brave one,_" It spoke. Sparxon stumbled back and I barely had time to react before a beam of light eco swallowed my entire body, warming me in a familiar way. "_And once again, your heroism shall be rewarded. I give you a new light power, one which will help you reach new places. Places only in your dreams..._"

I closed my eyes, mentally preparing myself for whatever "gift" the Precursors were granting this time. The tingling feelings spread from my head to my toes as usual, a comforting sensation that made me feel everything was right in the world.

That was until I felt an electric shock of pain coming from my shoulder blades. I cried out from surprise, feeling my dark eco react to the sudden intensity bubble up in my veins. My darker half was mad...but I had to suppress him if I wanted to absorb this light eco ability. I pushed him away, embracing the weird little electric shocks that continued to lap my back. Eventually the pain stopped and I fell to the floor, the light eco beam vanishing as if it were never there to begin with.

"Jak," I heard Sparxon's quiet voice echo from behind, "Holy shit, _Jak_..."

I looked down at my iridescent blue hands, rolling my shoulder blades and relaxing my muscles. I stretched my back, suddenly aware of a _new_ muscle that had been shifting where my shoulder blades were. I blinked my eyes in confusion, trying to clear the white film that typically covered them whenever I first changed into this form. It was a strange feeling, having a muscle you weren't aware of before...I glanced over my shoulder and inhaled sharply when I saw what was there.

_Wings_.

Beautiful, blue, iridescent, ethereal wings that protruded from my back like something out of that book I read as a child. They were magnificent, angelic and gifts from the Precursors themselves. I reached over my shoulder and hesitantly touched one of the tendrils. It was the softest thing I had ever felt; smooth and silky like a feather, but strong to the touch, like it was made of something that couldn't be damaged or broken. They were perfect, and it was the second greatest gift I had ever received, the first being my own son.

I pushed the light eco down into my soul, watching the glow from my skin fade back to the tan I had from the Spargus sun, the film over my eyes dissipating. I held onto the sensation in my back, keeping my wings from receding into my shoulder blades. I wanted to see them through my normal eyes.

"I wish I started coming with you on trips a long time ago, man." Sparxon slowly approached me, staring at the intricate shape of my wings. "It's never a dull moment."

I grinned at him and hunched my shoulders, trying to get my wings to flap. They folded behind me, then open wide. I shifted my shoulders again, trying to get more movement, but I felt weak. I breathed in and out, allowing light eco to drown out whatever dark was still flowing, and with a surge of energy, my wings thrusted hard and I shot up into the air.

I soared upward, feeling a slight breeze in the mustiness of the temple. I inhaled it deeply, closing my eyes and spiraling downward back to the floor. Sparxon was laughing, and I dive-bombed in his direction, causing him to duck before I flew back upward. Flying really _was_ the best feeling in the whole damn world; this power, these wings...they were mine. And no one could take that away from me. It felt like something inside me had awoken, and there was no turning back now.

I floated back down, my feet scampering across the floor as I slowed to a stop. I rolled my shoulders and stretched my arms, walking up to Sparxon.

"Come on," I signed, "I know how to get to Seem."

Sparxon stared at me incredulously. "I don't like where this is going."

I hooked my arm around his waist and moved his arm around my neck. I squared my shoulders and the two of us both bent our knees and jumped up. I flapped my wings and propelled us upward, the extra weight throwing me off balance a bit. I took it slowly, Sparxon and I gripping each other anxiously, but I gained momentum the more I flapped my wings. I was much stronger than I thought I was...that was something I thought about often. How, yes, I was a person just like any other. But the things I had done and seen and felt and gone through- it showed how incredibly strong I really was. Even if I didn't always _feel_ strong.

Sparxon was laughing hysterically. I couldn't help the grin on my face as we headed in the direction of Seem's location; his laughter was contagious, and it reminded me that this was the first and possibly only time Sparxon would ever get to really fly. He was timid at first, but I could tell that it was so exciting for him and that he wanted to enjoy it while the moment lasted.

I saw Seem on a landing across the way, several meters from our position. My smile fell when I saw that he was alone. Not that I wanted him in any danger but...I had expected to find Errol. I expected this to be my chance to hinder his plans with the Dark Makers. I thought it would be my moment to exact revenge on him for what he did to my brother.

My stomach flipped as I swooped down to the landing and I made wider strokes with my wings in order to land us gently onto the platform. Sparxon and I released each other and he held his head panting.

"That was the coolest shit ever." He said quietly.

Seem turned to us, a look of disappointment on his face. I shifted my shoulders and allowed my wings to disappear into my skin and approached the monk. He shook his head, and I didn't know if he was disappointed in the situation or in me.

"You are too late." He said, clasping his hands behind his back. "Errol has learned how to connect with the Dark Maker ship." Seem pointed up at the violet Day Star in the sky.

Sparxon came up next to me and crossed his arms. "The Day Star is the Dark Maker ship?!" Him and I glanced at each other in surprise.

My entire life I thought the Day Star was just a star in space, just like the sun. My whole life, I would look up at the sky at its beautiful purple glow, thinking of how amazing it was, believing it was something natural in our sky. But all this time...it had been the Precursor's- and our planet's- worst enemy.

Seem nodded solemnly. "If he can awaken its terrible cargo, he will unleash horrors beyond our deepest nightmares." He reached into a pack that was around his shoulder. He then pulled out a familiar Precursor artifact. "Not all is lost. I hid the most important artifact from Errol...take the Time Map." He handed the spherical shaped orb to me, placing it gently in my hands.

"I was wrong about you." Seem continued, his eyes shifting to the side. "You have the balance needed to save us all."

Sparxon lifted an eyebrow and bent down to Seem's level. "Out of all the rubber wearing, completely freaky, beyond bizarre, paint-faced, super weird monks we've met...you're all right."

Seem ignored his comment and looked directly at me. "I have now seen the truth, and I am at peace. At least I was granted the gift of seeing the face of my creators." He glanced between Sparxon and I. "Where _is_ Orange Lightning, by the way?"

I frowned, but Sparxon stepped in. "He...had an accident. Errol's fault. That's all you need to know."

Seem pressed his palms together, closing his eyes in silent prayer. "Please, thank him for me."

"Ah...okay." Sparxon glanced at me, wide-eyed, and I shrugged. Monk Boy was always whacky and never made any sense.

Seem gestured toward a deactivated warp gate in the corner. "I will get this up and running so that you may return to King Damas." He nodded at me. "Constant vigilance, hero."

**JDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJ**

_Darla_.

Dark Makers were no picnic, by any means.

I had foreseen the day they would attack Haven City, but I hadn't expected to be _living_ at ground zero. Looking out the apartment building door with my month old son in my arms, I watched as a Freedom Fighter had his limbs torn from his sockets, the Dark Maker parading around with them as trophies. I called Tess immediately- I couldn't sit and watch people die right outside my home. I needed someone to watch Sparky while I rejoined the war and took back my rightful place as a medic.

I left Sparky with Tess at her and Daxter's apartment over the Naughty Ottsel, and kissed him goodbye at least fifty times. I kissed Tess goodbye just as much- the fact that I was placing my son in her care made me realize how much I trusted and loved her. I knew she would take good care of him while I was gone. His indigo eyes stared up at me while I pet his blonde curls, and it made me want to stay. But I knew what I was meant to do, _born_ to do. Everything was how it was supposed to be right at this moment.

I met up with Torn near where the agricultural section used to be. Jinx was there too, for some reason, but I didn't question whatever Torn's plans were. I had geared up with a couple of gun mods, several red eco grenades and took two shots of vodka behind the bar so that I was fully prepared for whatever Torn needed me to do. I hooked my weapons to the belt around my cargo pants; tugged on my sturdiest boots and fingerless gloves; slid my favorite bulletproof leather jacket over my sports bra and went on my way. I traveled light, but mostly because I knew I could rely on my dark eco abilities if it came down to it.

As I approached the boys, Jinx gave me a once over and whistled. "Hey there, hot stuff. You look ready for action." He waggled his eyebrows at his own "action" pun.

I rolled my eyes and smirked. "I've been using the weight room at HQ so I'd be back to my old self in time to kick ass."

"It's a good thing too, because 'kicking ass' is exactly what you're here for." Torn said, his voice low. His eyes looked sunken in like he hadn't eaten in days.

I lifted my eyebrows. "I'm not here as a combat medic?"

Torn shook his head. "You, Jinx and I are doing this mission together. Get your guns out; you're gonna need them."

My heart began thudding in my chest. It was exciting- I always liked being the frontline. Destroying enemies while protecting those behind me...it was an adrenaline rush. But back when I was a combat medic _and_ Fighter, I didn't have a child. Now I did, and he needed both of his parents alive and out of danger. If something happened to me on this mission, who would take my place as a parental figure?

My mind whirled. Jak and I would need to figure that out eventually. Sparky having both his parents fighting for the world constantly...it was a discussion we needed to have, whenever Jak came home.

But for now, my decision was made. I knew I lived long past this day, so there was no reason for me to tell Torn no. "What's the plan?" I asked confidently.

"Torn here says that Precursor pillar that Jak rose from the lake in Haven Forest has an Astro-Viewer he's used to access the Dark Maker ship," Jinx said, tossing his cigar to the ground and snuffing it out with his boot. "We know he's going to need to use it again, but it looks like the forest has become a home base for the Dark Makers."

"It's necessary to clear out the area for when Jak gets back." Torn said, nodding toward the four-seater zoomer. "That's what we're here to do."

Jinx and I followed him to the vehicle and I slid into the front passenger seat. I ran a hand through my blonde curls and pulled my gun out of the belt. "I'm totally down for this," I said, "But how come we don't just send a couple of Fighters in to do the job?"

Jinx moved into the backseat and Torn started up the zoomer. He shifted into a higher hover zone, then started in the direction of Haven Forest. "The Freedom League fights solely for survival of the city. They only know what they are told, and that _we_ handle anything related to saving the world as a whole." He began to speed up, his face wrinkling in thought. "So the less people know about the Astro-Viewer, the better. Besides, we can handle a few Dark Makers, can't we?"

I blew out a breath. "I can definitely be happy with taking out those fuckers. After watching them kill a Fighter this morning...in front of my _child_, no less...revenge is necessary."

"The Precursors will be proud of our efforts." Jinx said, crossing his arms and leaning back in his seat. "They and the Dark Makers are sworn enemies, you know."

Yes, I knew. Everyone knew. Jinx was a little slow on the uptake...but he was smart when it came to war tactics. I figured Torn had him come because of how ruthless he'd be.

We arrived at the door to Haven Forest and hopped out of the zoomer. We each readied ourselves with weapons of choice, tying boot laces and squaring our shoulders in preparation. Torn stepped up to the door to unlock it while Jinx and I aimed our guns at metalheads in the distance, in case the door took a long time. Lucky for us, it was only a moment before the gears whirred and turned, sliding the steel doors wide open for us.

"Ready?" Torn asked, looking back at us and cocking his gun.

Jinx and I ran up the ramp beside him and I gave Torn a nod. "Let's do this."

Upon entering the forest, we saw how outnumbered we really were. Dozens, maybe a hundred Dark Makers were scouting the area, making nests for themselves and marking territory by tainting all the plants with dark eco. I remembered when the area was a place of refuge- a place to be away from all the sorrow. I remember several months back when Torn had taken us here for protection from metalheads and it had been our only means of escape. Though the forest had already begun to die at the hands of dark creatures at the time, I still preferred the way it was back then to this. It didn't even look natural anymore, nothing like the forest I'd come to take comfort in. As I fought at Torn's side, I thought about how some day, I'd have it all fixed up nice. Once the city would rebuild, Haven Forest would be a place of peace again. Outside the city walls was a scary place, but Haven Forest was one of serenity, life and sanctuary.

It wasn't long before I decided to let my darker half loose. Maybe it was laziness, but using weapons felt like a waste of time and a waste of ammo when I could just use my natural abilities. The Dark Makers were much harder to kill than metalheads though, and despite all the self-training I gained from my nightly escapes, I found myself struggling to keep my stamina up.

My inner voice was shouting at me while a Dark Maker had me pinned to the dead, browning grass. She was pissing me off- I totally understood the "motivational speaking" she'd give me from time to time, if "motivational" was the right way to describe it. But she was currently talking down to me, telling me I was weak, that my boy made me weak. My love for Jak made me weak. And I knew I wasn't really mad at _her_, but at myself because it was my subconsciousness revealing how I truly felt. I was more than aware that her and I were one in the same, and it angered me that I was telling myself that "love" made me weak. Is that what I really believed?

"Get off me!" I growled at the Dark Maker, whose claws had begun to dig into my electric, purple-tinted skin. He gripped me by the wrists and my own claws were sliding in and out of my fingertips, trying to scratch at any part of the beast I could.

**_Don't you get it, Darla? _**My darkness hissed. **_You have too much on your mind and in your heart._**

_I will never blame love for my own inability to fight something off._ I twisted my body, trying to wiggle free.

**_Well at least realize that when dark eco and vengeance are on your mind alone, only then will you be the strongest._**

As usual, she had a point. _I_ had a point. But vengeance would only come when I felt angry. And the only thing that made me angriest was when the people I loved were in danger.

I mustered up enough fury to fire dark eco from my palms directly into the Dark Maker's face. He fell back, finally releasing me and I did a kip-up to my feet and readied for the next attack.

_How's that for vengeance?_ I asked my demon. _Can't be pissed without something pissing you off. Love makes me strong, not weak._

**_I rest my case._**

The boys and I fought hard, killing every Dark Maker that came our way and then some. I fended off each creature that tried to hurt Torn or Jinx, protecting them as best as I could from any harm. After what seemed like ages, only a few stragglers remained.

Torn popped bullets into their brains and at last, the forest was free of monsters. I switched back to my human form and adjusted my leather jacket, while Torn turned to Jinx and I, wiping sweat off his forehead.

"I'll call HQ and have one of the guys send over a cleanup crew." His voice rasped as he panted. "They'll dispose of the bodies. We don't want any of these fuckers waking up."

Jinx was kicking one of the bodies repeatedly, scratching his square jaw. "I don't know if that's necessary, man, they seem pretty dead."

"We can't take any chances." I said, rubbing my sore and bruising wrists. "Not with Jak."

Jinx shrugged. "I s'pose your right."

"Let's head back to the Port." Torn slid his gun onto his back. "I'll call Dumont over in Spargus and see where Jak's at."

I sighed. Knowing I had my boy to go home to made everything feel better.

Once we arrived at the Naughty Ottsel and finished cleaning ourselves off at the sink in the kitchen, Tess was not ready to hand over my baby.

"Ohmygosh, D, he was just the most perfect angel! Other than zapping me a couple of times, of course, but that's not his fault, the poor thing." She squealed, nuzzling her cheek to Sparky's. "I absolutely adore him!"

I grinned at my friend. "He had a good babysitter." Tess reluctantly passed my wide-eyed baby boy to me. I pulled my gloves off and pocketed them, smiling down at my handsome little man. "Tell aunt Tess 'thank you'."

"OHMYGOSH AUNT TESS I LITERALLY CAN'T HANDLE IT!" Tess hopped up and down, her hands on her cheeks. "I love being an aunt!"

I laughed and leaned down to sniff my boy's head. It was so nice to see Tessie smiling again, especially after we'd received the news about Daxter's...accident. She had been so distraught over it and I didn't blame her- I loved Daxter too. He's my best friend and her beloved partner. Sparky and I had been over her apartment a lot since, and the only thing that cheered her up lately was holding my little boy.

Torn came over, wiping his hands on a dish towel, then rested a palm on Sparky's head. "I'm glad you came home to him in one piece." Torn grinned toothily at me. He removed his hand from the baby's head. "This little guy really is a miracle."

I locked eyes with my boy, and the moment it happened I was transported into a vision.

It was the same image of the tattoo on Nica's thigh- the one that said "Sparxon" on it. I noticed a magazine beside Nica and could only make out the words "Kras City" on the front page. My eyes wandered back to Nica's leg, and the colors of the Freedom League crest swirled around until the vision changed to something more sinister: my soulmate, my love...Jak on his knees in the sand, gripping the sides of his head, crying out. In pain or rage, I couldn't tell what it was. The image of him was silent, eerily silent, not a sound coming from his mouth. It disturbed me beyond belief, and I wanted so badly to reach out and touch him...

I snapped out of the vision and Tess, Torn and Jinx were all looking at me. I shook my head and adjusted the baby in my arms so that his head was on my shoulder.

"I have a question," I said, rubbing my boy's back. "Does the name 'Sparxon' ring any bells?"

"Sure," Torn said, crossing his arms skeptically. "Sparxon Castello. He's a co-commanding officer with Maichael for a Freedom League special unit. Him and a few other members usually travel between Haven and Spargus and lead other platoons in the war." He cocked his hip. "Why?"

I scrunched my face up, trying to picture the images that were related to his name. "I'm..." I began. I shook my head, slightly annoyed. "I'm not really sure. His name keeps popping up in visions lately. I feel in my gut that I know the name from somewhere, before I'd even had visions of it. But I know I'd never heard it until more recently. Maichael mentioned him once."

"He's in Spargus with Jak, maybe that's why?" Tess sat on the round table in the center of the room.

"Maybe. What's his connection to Nica?" I asked.

Torn lifted his hands. "I can't answer that. I've only spoken with her via communicator a few times since we discovered she was alive and well in Spargus City, so I don't know much about her personal life."

"I think Castello told me they were fuckin'," Jinx said, rubbing his dimpled chin. The three of stared at him and he tilted his head. "What? He tells me some things. A while back he told me they were doing the nasty."

I shook my head in disbelief at his filterless-ness. "Okay then." I turned back to Torn and Tess. "Anyway, I don't have enough information yet to know what's going on." I leaned my cheek against my son's head, closing my eyes. "But I think he and Jak may be in some kind of trouble."

**JDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJ**

_Jak_.

Sparxon, Sig and I stood before the great leader of Spargus as he delivered the news we'd been dreading.

"The Dark Makers approach for another attack." The violet-eyed man paced back and forth. "Once again they ask for us to deliver pain. We will triumph again."

"Sir, are we prepared enough for another assault?" Sig asked, eyeing me out of the corner of his eye. "We've barely recovered from the last-"

"-Your job is not to question my orders, Sig." Damas stopped pacing and stood tall. "Spargus is always prepared for war. Since our city was built, everyone had been properly trained and prepped for any sort of attack. And even though this is the greatest war we've seen yet..." He paused and turned to look at me. "I have faith that we will power through and prevail. I have faith in in the survival of our world, and I have faith in Jak."

I bowed respectfully, moved by his words. Damas turned out to be everything I hoped to become someday; strong and selfless in his soul, with the abilitiy to lead others to be the same. What an honor it had been thus far to work for and with him. I truly idolized the man.

"We're ready for whatever you need us to do, King Damas." Sparxon said with a nod of his head.

"Excellent." Damas smiled broadly. "Get ready, gentlemen. A fierce storm approaches."

**JDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJ**

* * *

**A/N:**

We are nearing the end of Jak 3, but the story is not yet over. I look forward to completing this and beginning my third installment of MTLH.

Til the next chapter.

_~RyJones_


	15. Awakening

**A/N:**

The biggest battle Jak has to face is coming near...how will he survive?

Onward with the story.

* * *

**JDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJ**

_Jak_.

Damn.

The size of these Dark Makers.

The first time I had seen them, I was completely amazed and terrified. To be so much smaller than your enemy makes for an easy target. In some cases, being small can help with getting out of situations or taking cover from the enemy. But when it comes to dark devils versus a city, the city is the underdog.

Sig was off fighting Dark Makers with some of Maichael's platoon outside the city in the desert, while Sparxon and I took the seas. I had my goggles over my eyes as I blasted all the weak spots I could find on the monstrosities approaching from what used to be the serene ocean. Sparxon was loading and reloading my turret, protecting me from the smaller Dark Makers below trying to make their way up to us.

The Dark Maker I had been shooting at exploded in a massive ball of fire, shards of metal raining down on my partner and me. I covered my head and face with my armored arm, shielding Sparxon with my free one, until the shards stopped slicing at my skin.

Sparxon brushed himself off, then hauled me out of the turret seat. "We need to get down below!" He yelled over the sounds of the war. "The civilians need our help! Kleiver and his crew can handle the big guys!"

I nodded and together we bounded down the steps, arming ourselves with multiple weapons and preparing for the hand-to-hand combat we'd been training for. Bodies covered the sand; most of them were Dark Makers, but that wasn't saying much since there were more of them than us. We were losing badly.

Sparxon and I fought side by side, pressing against the Dark Maker front, leading a group of civilians into battle. I could feel blood splattering parts of me, and I wasn't sure from what side- or team- it was coming from. I fought mostly with my hands; I found that Dark Makers were less likely to attack someone riding on the shoulders of one of their comrades, trapping them in a choke hold. But my knuckles were cracked and bleeding and in no time I unleashed my darker, stronger self. I tore through the monsters with ease, and through red eyes I could see the civilians were no longer afraid of what I was. They had seen too much horror to be afraid, and they had seen what good having these powers could do. They knew I was protecting them.

I felt like I was fighting for hours. I was getting tired, my limbs falling weak and the dark eco levels in my blood getting low. I changed into human form and fell back behind Sparxon to catch my breath while he blasted bullets through the heads of our enemies. I held my arm around my abdomen, trying to breathe right again, and pulled out a pistol to fend off beasts headed our way.

Sparxon looked over at me, shooting with one hand and holding his communicator in the other. "Jak, Nica called! She said Haven is sending reinforcements!" He pocketed his communicator and barrel-rolled out of the way of an incoming Dark Maker. I jumped in front of him and killed the fucker, then pulled Sparxon up by his hand. He brushed himself off. "Thanks. She also said a supply cruiser is following in pursuit and there's a chance Darla and your boy might be on it."

I pulled him around the back of a building out of harms way and signed "What?!" to him. Why, why on this godforsaken planet, would Torn ever send my girl and month old son to Spargus City in the midst of a war?! When that tattooed freak arrived I was going to give him a piece of my-

"LOOK OUT!" I shouted...out loud...shoving myself into Sparxon as a grenade flew into our path. We tumbled to the ground and covered each other as the explosion made a crater right where we had previously stood.

Sparxon and I panted on the ground and he bolted upright. "Jak...you _talked!_"

I blinked. I spoke. I spoke my first words in a month. I had been silenced by my agony, my depression from seeing Daxter lying in a coma. The thought of my best friend and brother possibly never waking up made me never want to speak again. It made me feel like I _couldn't_ speak again. I could barely breathe when I visited him or even when I thought about him.

But seeing how close we had just come to being blown to smithereens, I guess I realized how important my words really were in the grand scheme of things. Keeping to myself and staying in my head so much had nearly gotten Sparxon and me killed one too many times. I needed to be a good partner for Sparxon and climb the hell back out of the hole I'd dug myself into. I wasn't going to drag him down into it, and I couldn't let him down.

"Yeah." I croaked. I cleared my throat. "Yeah, I guess I did, didn't I?"

Sparxon laughed heartily and clapped me on the back. We helped each other up and he grinned. "Welcome back, Jak. Now let's go kick more Dark Maker ass."

**JDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJ**

_Darla_.

I was so nervous sitting in this Hellcat. Not only were my son and I headed to a city under attack...but I was about to meet King Damas. One of the most important people Jak would ever know...the reason Jak was even alive today...the man I'd come to respect and adore long ago, even before I truly knew who he was. King Damas, whose importance and greatness I now fully understood.

I hope he liked me.

Sparky was asleep in the baby sack on my back, his warm cheek pressed against my bare skin. He was so tiny in the pack, he barely added any weight to what I was already carrying: weapons, grenades, a dagger in my boot...you know, typical mommy stuff.

Torn was sitting across from me, fiddling with the safety on his dual-pistols. He glanced up at me anxiously through his long eyelashes. "Are you scared?"

I shrugged. "Not so much scared as I am nervous about meeting Damas. You and I both know we'll make it back to Haven alive."

Torn smirked and rested his elbows on his knees. He sighed and hung his head. "I think I want to ask Ash to marry me."

My eyes widened and I did all I could not to grin stupidly. The most stubborn and toughest couple walking down the isle...it was comical as it was beautiful. "...Oh?"

Torn looked up at me again. "Just...you know...with the war going on and everything...and...I love her...you know?" He scratched the back of his neck. "I just figured...why the hell not?"

I nodded calmly. "I think she'd be thrilled to hear you propose _exactly_ like that."

Torn flipped me off and I laughed. His mouth cracked into a tiny smile. "How do I propose without coming across as too formal?"

I shifted so the pack moved from my back to my front. My son was still in a deep sleep, unfazed by the movement. "Tell her what you really feel. What was it like the first time you saw each other?"

Torn leaned back against the cruiser wall and crossed his arms. "I wanted to fuck her brains out. I wasn't exactly thinking about love or anything."

I almost choked on my own spit. "Okay, well you probably shouldn't lead with that then."

Torn pursed his lips and tapped his foot. "I joined the Krimzon Guard when I realized she was Baron Praxis's daughter, even though I hated everything the bastard stood for. I wanted to impress her...but I realized shortly after that she was fighting for a totally different side. The Underground was so small back then, made up of the Shadow, Ash and maybe a hundred others. I was so relieved that I resigned from the KG without so much as a letter." He laughed. "After getting to know her, before we hooked up, it was the first time I ever thought about settling down with anyone." He said, smirking at the memory. "I pictured her having my babies. And I also envisioned that when Baron Praxis was finally dead and gone, her and I would run Haven City side by side. She's my partner in crime."

His story gave me a warm fuzzy feeling. I liked seeing the soft side of Torn, and I knew how in love him and Ashelin were, even if they didn't express it openly. "That's amazing, Torn. You could totally propose with that. Tell her she inspired you to be the best version of you."

His eyes lit up. "Yeah, yeah! That's it. That's perfect." He leaned toward me and squeezed my hand. "Thanks, D."

I winked at him. "You know I'm here for all the love advice you need. But you figured it out on your own."

It wasn't long before we landed on the helipad behind Damas's palace. Torn helped me down from the Hellcat and asked the monks that met us to unload the supplies. He guided me into the desert-themed building briskly. I had never been outside of Haven City...I had only ever been to three places: Haven, Sandover Village, and my home, Misty Island. The air was breezy from the ocean and I could smell the sea just before we passed through the rusty orange door that led us inside. The scent reminded me of Sandover...no wonder Jak loved it here so much. The beach must've reminded him of home.

"Now," Torn said quietly as we hurried through groups of monks and warriors toward a wooden elevator-like lift, "Remember, you don't need to impress him. There's nothing you need to say or do, because I've told him everything about you. He trusts me and he is excited to talk about your 'gift' with you. That's all. You don't need to have a vision to get on his good side." Torn pressed the 'up' button and the lift doors opened. "Got it?"

I kissed the top of my boy's head, rubbing his back. "Got it."

We rode the lift up two levels and arrived in the most beautiful, rustic, relaxing throne room I could have ever imagined. I could go into detail of how it looked, but my attention was quickly grabbed by the man of great importance staring out the window at the opposite end of the room. I looked at Torn slightly panicked. He reached down and grabbed my hand, giving it a squeeze, then led me out of the elevator.

"Your Majesty," Torn said strongly. "Darla Acheron, at your request."

Damas turned and my heart inflated at the sight of him. His warm smile brightened the entire room and he wore armor fashioned by the finest Precursor technology. His eyes were violet, so vibrantly violet, crinkling as he smiled joyously at me. Even in war, his positivity shone through and emanated in such a way that I felt amazing...about everything. How could anyone feel sad in his presence? He was...inspiring.

I approached the throne and Damas came down the few steps to greet me. Torn passed my hand, the one he was holding, into Damas's, and the king kissed the top of it. He then rested his palm on my sleeping boy's head.

"Darla, I am truly humbled by your presence." He said with a slight bow, as Torn backed away. "To finally meet Jak's wife, and his son, after so much time, after hearing many good things. Or wife-to-be, I should say?"

"Wife-to-be." I responded shyly, my shoulders hunching.

Damas chuckled. "All in due time. I would be honored if you'd have the wedding here, as soon as possible. I would very much like to attend and show my support."

My eyes widened. "We would be honored!" I exclaimed, startling my son. His wide, indigo eyes stared up at me and then his head tilted slightly to look up at Damas.

It was then that my mind swirled as I thought of the infinite visions that passed through my eyes. And I had to remind myself of the horrible event that was to come before that day would ever happen. I had to remind myself not to get too attached to Damas.

Damas grinned at me. "Excellent." The king placed his hands behind his back, leaning down to look into my son's eyes. "My, what a vibrant color his irises are. But both yours and Jak's are blue."

"The darker tint is from Jak's father's side." I blurted thoughtlessly. I wished I could just tell Damas the truth, tell Jak the truth about everything. But there was no way I could...I could see that clearly now after having visions of terrible things that would happen if I did. Things far worse than what was meant to happen.

"Ah," Damas nodded. "Jak told me once him and his father were not in contact. Such a shame. I would've done anything for my son." His brows furred sadly and I felt his pain...I knew what he was talking about. But I was surprised him and Jak had actually discussed such personal things. It was really amazing that they had become that close to one another and connected on that kind of level.

Damas shook his head and stood up straight. "Anyway! My contacts from Haven tell me you have been blessed with the gift of clairvoyance, is this correct?"

"Yes sir." I glanced at Torn, who was sitting by a stream on a far side of the room. He nodded at me, letting me know it was okay to talk. "Though for the first few years, I found it a curse and a burden more than a gift."

"Your blood is tainted like Jak's is as well?"

I sighed. "I was young, sixteen, when it happened. That's how I got the psychic powers, along with less popular abilities." I turned so that he could see the symbol scarred on my shoulder peeking out from behind my tank top. "It took a very long time to adjust."

Damas shook his head. "I can't even imagine the torture both of you had endured. Does your boy have the darkness as well?"

"Yes. But he was born with a touch of Light in him, too."

Damas's eyes enlarged. "He was blessed by Precursors." He smiled widely. "He must be blessed to have parents like you and Jak."

I blushed. "Thank you, sir."

Damas clasped his hands together. "I feel that we were meant to meet, Darla. Spargus is in the middle of a war, and I think you might be able to help us get ahead of the game."

I shook my head. "Most visions come and go as they please. I can force some on, but it is very rarely in time to-"

"-I don't require any forced visions," Damas interrupted. He placed a hand on my shoulder. "I would just appreciate you being here while we are in this war. If you are here, you will more likely see visions of events in my city, is that right?"

"I suppose." I said, "I do have visions about Haven solely while I'm in Haven." I stood straighter, showing him confidence. "I'd be honored to serve under you."

"Fantastic! You have no idea how much I greatly appreciate your help." The king glowed. "Not that I will be sending you into battle, but you have experience in the field as well, yes?" I nodded and he continued. "Torn tells me you are a combat medic. I also have plenty of room in the infirmary, should you find yourself wanting to provide more assistance."

"Thank you, your Highness." I bowed slightly.

"No, Darla...I thank you." His violet eyes bore into mine. "You have served your city well, and now you are serving mine. All the while you've had a child on the way. You and Jak are some of the finest warriors I have ever seen."

It took everything in me not to let this compliment break me. To be called one of the finest warriors by King Damas himself...knowing what he meant to Jak...I would never forget those words. I closed my eyes, holding back my tears, absorbing the memory so I would have it forever. Some day, I would tell little Sparky all about this and everything that lead up to this moment. I would tell him the whole story, beginning to end.

A vision suddenly hit me then. My first of probably many in Spargus City.

**JDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJ**

_Jak_.

I tried to call out to Sparxon for help, but the heavy foot of this Dark Maker on my chest wouldn't allow my voice to shout. There must've been some kind of mental connection thing between him and I though, because he suddenly appeared on top of the beast and wrestled it away from me. I inhaled loudly and coughed and sputtered, rolling onto my hands and knees. Spots appeared in front of my eyes as the oxygen returned to my brain, and I shook my head to rid myself of them.

Sparxon appeared in front of me and hoisted me up, swinging my arm over his shoulders. He dragged me away from the pile of bodies, both civilian and Dark Maker. "Come on, man, don't die on me now."

"I'm good, I'm good." I moved myself off him and steadied my legs. I was more exhausted than I had ever been in my entire life. Never had I fought so long and hard before. But I wasn't ready to give up now.

Sparxon wiped a streak of blood from his forehead. "You know something Jak?" He panted, trying to catch his breath. "I don't think I've ever had this much fun with anyone before."

I lifted an eyebrow at him and laughed humorlessly. "That's sarcasm, right?" I crossed my arms. "Because every time we're together all hell breaks loose."

Sparxon bounced on his feet, checking to see if the coast was clear. It was quiet, and it looked like we were safe here in this spot by the cliffs for now. He placed his hands on his hips, relaxing, and he smiled at me. "It's usually our fault all hell breaks loose." His emerald eyes sparkled mischievously. "But in all seriousness..." He slid his pistol into its holster. "For the first time in my life I really feel like I'm doing important things, going on adventures, and I'm doing them with a great friend. I've never felt more alive than I do right now fighting by your side."

I grinned at him. The comment really meant something to me, that I was his friend and us going on missions together gave his life purpose. But I wasn't going to let him think I was a sap. "I think the desert heat is getting to your head, Sparxon."

He kicked sand up into my face and I cursed at him, laughing and choking on sand. He doubled over in laughter and shook his head. "Man, wait until Daxter wakes up. We'll have so many stories to-"

Blood was on my face.

It was in my eyes and nose and I could see it on my hands as I gaped in shock trying to wipe it off me.

I looked up.

The forearm of a large, menacing Dark Maker was protruding through my partner's chest.

The Dark Maker loomed behind Sparxon and yanked its arm out from within him, flinging his body to the ground like a rag doll.

I screamed, shedding my human skin and releasing my hell-bent fury on the monster, tearing him to bits in a matter of milliseconds and avenging my friend.

I hurried to Sparxon's side, reverting back to my human form. My hands hovered over the gaping, bloody hole in his abdomen and he coughed and choked on his own blood pooling in his throat.

"I won't let you die!" I was determined as I supported his head and neck with my hand. Sparxon was quivering in my arms and his usually bright eyes were wide with fear, their vibrant emerald dimming to a dull gray-green. "Sparxon!" I covered his wound with my free hand, but blood seeped between my fingers and surrounded his back. "Someone help!" I called out...but no one could hear us so close to the waves splashing along the cliffs.

"J-Jak..." Sparxon gasped violently as he whispered my name. He grabbed my wrist, holding my hand in place on his stomach. He blinked slowly, the fear on his face replaced by a strange look of peace when he reopened his eyes.

"You're going to be ok," I said, trying to convince myself this was the truth while his blood poured out of him. "Think about all the stories we have to tell Daxter when he wakes up. Think about Nica! She needs you, I need you, we all _need_ you." A tear fell down Sparxon's cheek.

My heart was breaking...I realized then that he really wasn't going to make it. My friend was going to die here in my arms. I felt pressure behind my eyes as the tears fell from them, the salt burning my cheeks as each one slid down my face.

He inhaled shakily, his body no longer quivering. "It's okay...I-I'm feeling better already. You'll all be okay." He swallowed and looked into my eyes. "I need you...t-to promise me...you'll t-take care of her...N-Nica..." He stammered weakly.

"Always. I promise." I said, my heart thudding out of my chest.

He leaned against me. "I n-need...you to t-take care of yourself. P-Please..." He gasped. "Never stop fighting...T-Take care of yourself...You're the b-best there is...and the b-best person I've ever...known."

"Come on, Sparxon, stay with me." My voice cracked helplessly. "Stay with me."

He closed his eyes. "Jak...thank you, Jak...thank you...for..."

He fell limp in my arms.

_Oh my god_.

Sparxon was dead.

I let go of his wound and wrapped my arm around him clutching his lifeless body to me, rocking back and forth, sobbing hysterically.

_Why?_

**_WHY?_**

Why him? Why, after already taking Daxter, did they take Sparxon too? Did their lives not matter in this war? Did no ones' lives matter?!

The Precursors kept me around to protect and save their goddamn planet. They were using me. That's why I was still here and everyone around me suffered. There were so many times I could've died, so many accidents and injuries that could've killed me...but I evaded all of it. Because of them. When would it end?

Never, because I was put on this earth to do great things. Great things that Sparxon admired me for. Things that inspired him and others to never stop fighting.

I let go of Sparxon's body, my hands crawling to my hair. I felt my body flash between dark and light. Heaven and Hell. I was shaking.

I gripped my scalp and looked to the sky, releasing one of the loudest and most pained cries the world would ever hear, had it not been swallowed by the sound of the crashing waves.

**JDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJ**

_Darla_.

One of the monks was holding my son while another blessed him, by Damas's request. He insisted it be done and of course I wasn't ever going to deny him. But just before they had arrived, a vision showed me Jak in anguish, a torment so great that I felt it deep within me. I warned Damas and Torn, who were equally concerned, that this vision was either near or present-future and they needed to be prepared for whatever had Jak so distraught.

That was when Damas suggested blessing my boy, and I could see in his eyes he was trying to distract me from worrying. He received the call from Sig that the city was clear of Dark Makers and he said it was a win. I was beginning to feel that there might be a greater loss.

When the lift started humming behind us, I knew it was Jak.

But I didn't expect what I saw as he exited the elevator.

**JDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJ**

_Jak_.

People were staring in silence as I carried my fallen brother through the city. They gazed as I headed for the palace. They watched me as I clutched his lifeless body in my arms, his head resting on my chest. They didn't say a word, not even the monks, as I called the lift to bring me to Damas's throne room. No one stopped me. No one called out to me. No one helped me. They just let me go.

I rode the elevator up and it felt like the slowest ride of my life. I just wanted to get him to Damas. That's all I wanted...I wanted Damas to see him this way. To show Damas that even though Spargus is always prepared for war...no one can prepare the people for loss like this. I wanted Damas to call Nica. I wanted a proper burial for Sparxon. It was all completely necessary.

The doors to the elevator slid open and the first person I saw was Darla. It took everything in me not to run to her. I looked straight at Damas, whose smile fell when he saw Sparxon's lifeless body in my arms. I walked down the isle toward him, each thud of my boot heavier than the last. Everything was in slow-motion as I approached the king. I could see Torn's hands slowly move to his cheeks as his mouth formed Sparxon's name. I locked eyes with Darla...and she had sympathy in her eyes. I knew then that she had probably seen this coming.

I halted in front of Damas and time sped up again.

"Torn!" He shouted, "Call the emergency line!" Torn began dialing and shouting something I didn't understand into his communicator. Damas then turned to two monks standing by one of the streams of water, one of which was holding my son in a knapsack. "Leer, find Sparxon's co-comanding officer! Go now!" The monk that wasn't carrying my boy ran for the elevator.

Damas came up close to me, his violet eyes saucers. "Jak..." He whispered cautiously. "I'm going to take him now."

I don't think I was breathing. I shook my head no. "I...I promised..." My voice was barely audible.

Damas placed his arms beneath mine. His hands held my elbows and he bent close to my face. "I am going to take him now, son."

My shoulders tensed as he slid Sparxon out of my arms and into his own. My hands were still raised as he backed away slowly with the corpse. His eyes tore themselves away from mine and he turned to Darla. "Take him to the private cleansing room, one floor below, last door on the left. You can clean him there and check for injuries. My monk will watch your boy."

My eyesight was blurry but I felt Darla's gentle hands on my outstretched arms. She stepped in front of my face, her blue eyes piercing mine, bringing me back to earth. She placed a hand on my cheek.

"We're going to walk now, Jak. Okay?" She asked, and when I didn't respond, her thumb moved over my cheek. "We're going to walk now, baby. Come on."

She took my hand and held my arm, turning me away from Damas holding Sparxon in his arms. I could swear I saw the king shed a tear.

I don't remember how I ended up in the private cleansing room, but somehow Darla and I were there. The tub was shaped like a square and she filled it with steaming water and soap bubbles. She was taking my armor off slowly, piece by piece, her eyes never leaving my face. As she pulled my shirt over my head, the pain from today's battle started to wrack my body. Her fingertips were cool as they went over my chest, which I could feel was covered in bruises, down to my hips. She squatted to the floor, pulling my boots and socks off each foot as I stepped out of them. She then pulled my pants and undergarments off, pushing my clothes across the tile floor.

"I'm helping you into the tub, Jak." Darla said softly, pulling my goggles off my head and moving me toward the bath. I stepped in and the scalding hot water swallowed my legs. I sat down in the tub, Darla sitting on the edge above me.

"Close your eyes." She said as she leaned over and grabbed a clay jug, filling it with water. I did as I was told and held my breath as she poured the water over my head. I opened my eyes as she rubbed her hands with soap, lathering them up. She ran her fingers through my wet, short hair, scrubbing my scalp. I closed my eyes again, allowing the sensation to relax me. "Hold your breath again." Darla said. Water poured over my head again two more times.

Darla then rubbed my face with a hot, wet cloth. She scrubbed gently, but hard enough so that dirt and sand and Sparxon's blood would come off. Her tongue peeked out of the corner of her mouth while she focused on getting every bit of it off me. She tossed the cloth into the water when she was done so I wouldn't have to see what was on it. Her hand grazed my cheek, her eyes scanning my face and I watched her. Watching her work so hard to erase the events of today from my skin made me feel so much love amongst the agony and pain. She was bringing me tranquility, as always.

She continued all these movements, cleaning me from head to toe in every spot. She was trying to remove everything so I wouldn't have to see the remnants of what happened. I couldn't imagine what I looked like walking into that throne room covered in blood and guts, carrying my dead friend. It must've been horrific for her to see that.

But here she was, as calm as ever, cleaning me up so I didn't have to imagine it.

Darla went over to a closet in the corner of the room and stepped inside. She reemerged with a towel, extra undergarments, a navy blue tunic and pair of gray cotton pants and returned to help me out of the bath. She patted my body dry, leaving my head for last. She rubbed the towel over my head, drying my hair and face. She tossed the towel to the floor, placed both of her hands on the sides of my face, and kissed me. I wrapped my arms around her neck and held her to me. Her lips were soft, kissing me slowly. It felt as if we hadn't been apart for a whole month. She kissed me passionately, with only love, not with the same ferocity as we typically would after being away from each other so long. It made me feel like she forgave me for leaving...again. She accepted me for doing what I needed to do.

I didn't realize my tears were slipping out again until her lips left mine. She pulled the tunic over my head and helped me dress the rest of the way. She hurried because she knew I needed her. She flung her arms over my shoulders and I buried my face into her shoulder, digging my fingertips into her back as I silently cried. She petted my head slowly, combing her fingers through my hair like before, rubbing the back of my neck. She didn't tell me to shush. She didn't tell me not to cry. She didn't tell me it would be okay. She didn't see what I saw, she didn't have a friend, or any person, die in her arms. She understood. She just let me be.

We were on the floor now, my arms squeezing around her waist as I hid my face in her neck. Her arms were around me protectively and she kissed the top of my head every few seconds. I heard her sniff a few times. I kissed her neck up to her jaw and mouth. I kissed her slowly, my hand moving to the back of her head. Her eyes were red as if she'd been crying too. I pecked each of them.

"I would be dead if it wasn't for you." I said quietly, resting my forehead on hers.

"It's really the other way around, Jak." She smiled sadly.

I shook my head. She needed to know that I didn't just want her in my life...I needed her. Always. I stroked her hair, noticing the ring I gave her when I asked her to marry me on a chain around her neck. I touched it lightly with my fingers.

"I keep it around my neck all the time." She whispered. "I try to keep it safe by putting it on this chain for when I'm fighting in the war or working on a patient. Or changing our son's nasty diapers."

I smiled slightly and kissed her again. I sighed. "Darla...I really don't know how I would ever live without you. I thought I was good on my own...not happy, but..._capable_ of being on my own. But now I don't think I ever was." I looked into her eyes. "I don't just want you as my wife. I _need_ you as my wife. And partner. And best friend. You and our son are the reason I fight. You are my world."

Darla ran her hands up and down my arms. "I feel the same way. I know how strong you are, and I know how strong I am...but I need you too. I love you, Jak." Her nose grazed mine. "So much."

"When this is all over," I brushed a golden wave out of her face. "We're getting married. As soon as this is over. Okay?"

She nodded, smiling. "Okay."

We sat there embracing for a few more minutes, appreciating each other. Eventually we got off the floor, and Darla went over to pick up my armor. As I slid on my boots, she rinsed the artifacts off in the bath water and dried them with the towel before offering them me.

"You don't need the other clothes," She said, snapping each piece where it belonged on my body. "But you still need to wear these with pride. You deserve Mar's armor more than anyone else."

I stretched my aching muscles and joints, then draped my arm over her shoulder. "I need to see my boy." I said. Darla beamed and we left the cleansing room and headed back toward the elevator. As we ascended, I tightened my arm around her shoulders while she tightened hers around my waist. It was as if we both were too afraid to let go.

When we entered the throne room, Damas was muttering into his communicator, pacing back and forth. He saw us and gestured for his monk to bring over my son. The monk removed the him from the sack he was in and placed it on the floor before handing the baby to me.

He was wide awake, staring up at me with those big indigo eyes of his. Though a month had passed since I last saw him, his tiny form still nestled perfectly in my arms just as the day he was born. I lifted him to my face, inhaling his scent and pressing my cheek to his. Never in my life did I ever think I could love something so damn much. I still couldn't believe it sometimes...that he was my son. I was his father. And Darla and I made him together. He looked just like us.

I felt his eyelashes blink against my cheek and I pulled back to stare at him more. I shifted him into the crook of my arm and Darla found my free hand, the contact making my skin tingle. I gazed at her, and she gazed at me, and I imagined life after all this hell and fire. Life with her, regardless of what was going on in the world around us, was everything I could ever want.

I heard Damas sign off on his communicator and he cleared his throat, walking over to us. "It is uplifting to see two people so very much in love. Bless you both."

Darla squeezed my hand and I bowed to Damas respectfully. "Thank you, Damas." I looked down at the floor. "I want to apologize...for bringing my friend in here like that-"

"-Nonsense!" Damas said incredulously. "Spargus always respects the dead. We find our own and we take care of what is left. If you did not bring him yourself, the natural elements would have taken matters into their own hands. And that is no way to bury a hero." He stepped up to me, his eyes looking squarely at me. "What you've been through, and what you've done...it was all with dignity and grace. You handle crisis better than most."

I felt my face warm and looked at my girl. "I couldn't survive anything without her."

Damas grunted in approval. He looked down at my son, who turned his little blonde head to stare the king directly in the eyes. Damas laughed softly, placing a hand on my boy's head. "What have you named him?"

Darla and I looked at each other. We hadn't really talked about it, and our son had been dubbed 'Sparky' for a month now. D squinted her eyes, glancing away for a moment. A sudden look of recognition crossed her face then, and her eyes widened.

"Sparxon." She said confidently to Damas. "We've named him Sparxon, after Jak's friend."

I looked at Darla with surprise. "Really?"

She placed her hands on my arm. "Jak, Sparxon had been by your side since Dax went into a coma. He protected you and fought with you every day. He is the first person to have died in your arms..." Her breath hitched and it made my heart skip a beat. "And the person who managed to bring you back to life this past month. So what better way to honor his memory than to name our son after him?"

I looked down at my baby boy. I couldn't imagine him with any other name...besides Sparky. I felt like if we did this, it would remind me of why I keep fighting and keep going in life no matter what's thrown at me. "I think we _have_ to name him Sparxon." I said. "Today is significant. We won a battle, but I lost someone in the middle of it. As he was dying..." I shuddered at the thought, "...Sparxon told me to never stop fighting. I'll never forget what happened to him. Or what he said to me in his final moments."

"It would be the finest tribute, Jak." Damas said. "He looks like a 'Sparxon' to me. Our fallen brother would take pride in knowing your son was named after him."

"And we already call him 'Sparky' as a nickname," Darla continued, her smile broadening. "Now we don't have to stop. He's still our little Sparky."

My heart swelled at how this moment was falling into place. I gazed down at my son, who was still staring at Damas. "Sparxon." I said, and his head turned in my direction, as if he were answering my call. That was the moment...that was when I knew it was meant to be his name.

"I'd had visions of the name before," Darla said, touching our son's cheek. "I saw it in the future. A couple years ahead. It kept sticking in my mind and I couldn't get it out. It all makes sense now."

"Interesting how the universe works, hmm?" Damas allowed Sparxon's tiny hand to curl around his finger. His hand was enormous next to my boy's head.

The king's communicator began to ring then. He backed away with an "excuse me" and went to answer the call.

I turned to face my girl. "Are you happy?"

She tilted her head and stared down at our boy with so much love in her eyes. "I've never been more _sure_ of anything."

God, I loved her so much. I loved them _both_ so much. I was so lucky.

I opened my mouth to tell her that when Damas whipped around to face us.

"Jak!" He exclaimed. "That was the infirmary...Daxter is awake!"

My heart skipped a beat for the second time that day.

**JDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJ**

* * *

**A/N:**

There you have it, dear readers. Little Sparxon "Sparky" Mar. Not that Jak knows he is of the Mar lineage yet...but he will find out soon enough.

Daxter is back...and he missed a lot.

Stay tuned for the next chapter.

_~RyJones_


End file.
